Effects of pneumococcus type I on leukocytes and hemopoietic organs

Abstract

Halla,1 Kikodse,2 and Jaksch3 all thought that leukopenia in croupous pneumonia is a bad prognostic sign. Cabot4 reported 6 cases of pneumonia with leukopenia and one case with leukopenia at the beginning and a progressive leukocytosis toward the end of disease, but he does not believe that there is any relation between the number of leukocytes and the severity of disease. According to Ewing,5 a well marked leukocytosis indicates a severe infection and a leukopenia a bad prognosis. Arneth0 states that leukopenia with a relative lymphocytosis means in general a severe infection and a doubtful, but not an absolutely bad, prognosis. Williamson7 calls attention to the fact that a pneumococcus septicemia is usually associated with leukopenia. Rieder8 found leukopenia with a marked relative increase in the number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils in fatal cases of lobar pneumonia. Limbeck9 asserts that a fatal case of pneumonia is usually marked by a progressive leukocytosis. Tschistovitch10 points out the significance of leukopenia by demonstrating experimentally that rabbits inoculated with virulent pneumococci usually die with leukopenia, but in animals inoculated with nonvirulent pneumococcus there is a leukocytosis. Billings11 states that patients with fatal cases of pneu-monia may or may not have leukocytosis, and that a continuous absence of leukocytosis indicates an unfavorable prognosis and high virulence of the pneumococcus.