STUDIES OF GONOCOCCAL INFECTION. IV. THE EFFECT OF MUCIN ON THE BACTERIOLYTIC POWER OF WHOLE BLOOD AND IMMUNE SERUM

Abstract

In a study of the effect of adding mucin to the whole blood of patients with gonococcal arthritis, of normal individuals, and of rabbits, it was found that mucin alone is a poor culture medium for the continuous growth of the gonococcus. These organisms are able to survive in this medium for as long as 28 hours at 37.5[degree]C. The addition of "granular mucin" to whole defibrinated blood may depress the bacteriolytic titer for the gonococcus. When mucin is added with a small amount of antigonococcal serum to whole blood, the bacteriolytic titer is reduced but not abolished. The bacteriolytic action of serum was shown to be operative to some degree even in the presence of mucin. Mucin does not interfere with the action of complement or depress its potency. These in vitro expts. suggest that mucin interferes with the sensitization of organisms by antibody. The observations make it appear likely that mucin is a factor in favoring the localization and survival of gonococci in synovial fluid and the tendon sheaths.