Variation in Streptococcus Fibrinolytic Action on Human Plasma

Abstract

Tillett and Garner1 have shown that filtrates of young broth cultures of hemolytic streptococci of human origin can liquefy fibrin clots of normal human plasma. Tillett, Edwards and Garner2 further found that resistance to this fibrinolytic action in plasma of patients during convalescence from streptococcus infections might indicate antibacterial immunity to that organism. Myers, Keefer and Holmes3 recorded that this resistance in plasma of patients with rheumatic fever is comparable to that observed in plasma of patients with hemolytic streptococcus infections. Both groups of investigators used the same strain of organism having high fibrinolytic action (i. e., strain CO) as the test organism. Hadfield, Magee and Perry,4 however, called special attention to the variation in the fibrinolytic activity of different strains of hemolytic streptococci and they proposed to use at least 3 strains of lytic organisms in all tests. In view of the importance of this test in immunological studies, it occurred to us ...