Studies on the Mechanism of Pathogenicity of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae

Abstract

Gonococci in pus appear in specific clusters in which they are surrounded by organelles and granules derived from the host cells in which they multiplied. These clusters have been named infectious units because (1) the cocci multiply within them, (2) the whole complex makes contact with epithelial cells, (3) the cocci in the units are not recognised by polymorphs as long as the coating of granules is dense enough, and (4) the cocci are probably protected against humoral defence mechanisms. During multiplication of bacteria in infectious units, soluble antigenic material is probably produced. No morphological evidence of multiplication of gonococci outside infectious units was observed in pus from patients with gonorrhoea. Attempts to reproduce typical infectious units in animal models have so far failed.