Antigenicity of Myicoplasma mycoides I.—Examination of Body Fluids from Cases of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia

Abstract

Scrum, plasma, lysed blood cells, urine and pleural fluid or lymph (inflammatory exudate from subcutaneous inoculation) were obtained from cattle naturally and artificially infected with Mycoplasma mycoides. These fluids were examined for antigens of M. mycoides by means of the agar gel precipitin test and the quantitative agar gel precipitin test. They were also examined for antibodies against M. mycoides by means of the complement fixation and slide agglutination tests, and for viable M. mycoides by growth in broth cultures. Hyperimmune sera for use in these tests were prepared in sheep by the intravenous injections of washed organisms. Viable organisms were obtained only from the pleural fluid in natural cases of CBPP, but in the experimental cases the organisms were present in the serum, plasma and lymph. Antibodies against M. mycoides were demonstrated in sera and plasma samples of all cases. Specific precipitating antigens were demonstrated in all the fluids, urine possessing at least 5, lymph and pleural fluid at least 6 and serum and plasma at least 6 and sometimes 7 antigens. The 5 antigens in urine were common to all fluids, while the extra 1 in lymph and pleural fluid was also present in serum and plasma. In addition to these so-called major antigens, minor ones were also demonstrated but they were not studied in detail.