IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDIES OF PNEUMOCOCCAL PNEUMONIA IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH PENICILLIN 1

Abstract

Agglutinins or mouse protective antibodies, or both, developed in the sera of 33 of 44 cases of pneumococcal pneumonia treated with penicillin. 87% of the cases attributed to types other than 3 and 8 showed an immune response. 12 of the patients were treated within 18 hrs. of the acute onset of pneumonia. 22, or one-half, were treated within 28 hrs. Either agglutinins, or mouse protective antibodies, or both, increased in titer in the sera of 77% of the patients treated within 28 hrs. and in 73% of those treated later. The development of an immune response was not correlated with the presence or absence of a preceding upper respiratory infection, with bacteremia, with delay in instituting treatment with penicillin, with the initial or total dosage of penicillin, nor with the penicillin treatment schedule.