Reexamination and characterization of the T-agglutination complex or pattern of Streptococcus pyogenes: preparation of anti-T factor sera.

Abstract

The T-agglutination complex or pattern of Streptococcus pyogenes which cannot be strain typed by a single definite anti-T monovalent serum but, because of the presence of a common T antigen, requires a set of two or more anti-T sera. Of these complexes, strains belonging to the 3-13-B3264; 8–25-Imp 19; and 5–27–44-complexes from outside Japan were studied, and each could be typed as a definite T-type. These discrepancies were attributed to the different procedures employed by us in adsorbing the original antisera. We observed the same patterns or complexes after complete removal, from our original antisera, of the non-type-specific or group-specific antibodies by absorption. Consequently we postulate that these patterns merely represent cross reactions occurring in minor T antigens. Therefore we attempted in this investigation to improve the absorption procedures using a much larger amount of whole cells, to obtain separate factor sera. These were attained with little difficulty and the results given by these factor sera were clear cut. The present paper reports on the reexamination and characterization of the complex or pattern of the resulting T-agglutination complexes.