Active Immunization Methods Against Acute Diffuse Peritonitis

Abstract

Active peritoneal immunization against a possible inflammatory process of the peritoneum is definitely established both by experimental procedure and clinical application.*• • *• There is a concurrence of experimental data that peritoneal protection can be achieved. As is true with active immunization in general, there is lacking an efficient antigen and further knowledge of some of the basic principles. The mechanism of peritoneal immunity is apparently still controversial. There is disagreement as to whether the immunity is local as understood by Besredka (Herrmann) or is merely a local, manifestation of a general immunity (Steinberg and Snyder). There is also doubt as to the specificity of such an immunization. However, there are sufficient data to indicate that the process is not specific. Goldblatt and I immunized animals with colon bacilli and induced fecal peritonitis (the feces contained several species of organisms) with a consequent survival of the animals. Morton used nonspecific substances and secured a peritoneal immunity against a hemolytic streptococcus. It is questionable, however, if Morton obtained invariably a peritonitis in his experimental animals. As I* repeatedly pointed out, introduction of bacterial cultures intraperitoneally may not produce peritonitis. The bacteria pass rapidly from the peritoneal cavity into the circulation and the animal may die or survive depending upon the virulence of the organism, but there may be no evidence of peritoneal inflammation. Employment of such a method to induce experimental peritonitis may lead investigators to erroneous conclusions.