THE PHENOMENON OF LOCAL TISSUE REACTIVITY TO BACTERIAL FILTRATES

Abstract

The phenomenon of local tissue reactivity deals with a new category of antigenic toxic principles from a great variety of pathogenic micro-organisms. Their physicochemical and immunologic properties are similar to those of true exotoxins. These principles are soluble and filtrable and may partially lose their potency or disappear altogether from the once highly potent filtrate. They are not dialyzable and are inactivated by ultraviolet radiation. The most important feature is that the principles are antigenic and neutralizable by specific immune serum according to the law of multiple proportions. The important distinction between the toxic principles of the phenomenon and true exotoxins lies in the mechanism of their effect. True toxins produce direct injury following a single injection. The active principles of the phenomenon elicit a state of tissue reactivity. If the principles are introduced into the blood stream during the time of reactivity they produce severe damage in this tissue.