A Study of the Opsono-Cytophagic Power of the Blood and Allergic Skin Reaction in Brucella Infection and Immunity in Man

Abstract

Studies of citrated blood of human cases known to have had undu-lant fever in past years and shortly after recovery, and of those which were actively infected or which had no history of the disease, showed that the in vitro activity of polymorphonuclear cells in whole citrated blood, for Brucella, is an expression of immunity to Brucella and an indication of progress toward recovery in active infection. Absence of, or a low phagocytic activity obtained in conjunction with, a negative allergic skin test is evidence of susceptibility. Infection is indicated by a positive allergic skin test obtained with Brucella nucleo-protein in conjunction with negative or low opsono-cyto-phagic activity of whole citrated blood for Brucella.