Human Pus Research Articles

A comparative study of antigens of human pus, mouse brain and chick embryo origin for the diagnosis of lymphogranuloma venereum

A comparative study of antigens of human pus, mouse brain and chick embryo origin for the diagnosis of lymphogranuloma venereum

THE FREI TEST FOR LYMPHOGRANULOMA VENEREUM

Since the Frei cutaneous test is the principal confirmatory procedure for the diagnosis of lymphogranuloma venereum, much consideration must be given the availability and specificity of the used in the test. At present three sources of antigen are recognized: (a) pus aspirated from the inguinal bubo of a patient with early lymphogranuloma venereum, (b) macerated material from diseased glands and (c) emulsions of the brains of mice intracerebrally infected with virus. Frei test antigen prepared from human pus is not readily available, since cases of lymphogranuloma venereum with fluctuant inguinal buboes are infrequent even in large venereal disease clinics. When such cases are encountered the pus is usually present in small quantities, may vary in content in different patients and may be contaminated by the coexistence of other venereal diseases. Macerated material from diseased glands is likewise not readily available. The mouse brain antigen first described by Grace

MOUSE BRAIN ANTIGEN

Hellerstrom 1 in 1931 first reported that the intravenous injection of Frei antigen prepared with human pus was followed by a typical febrile response in patients with lymphogranuloma venereum. A similar reaction was not produced in control subjects. Ravaut, Levaditi and Maisler 2 injected monkey brain antigen intravenously. They stated that patients with lymphogranuloma venereum react to intravenous injection of antigen while the intradermal Frei test is still negative. Gay Prieto and Egea Bueno 3 and Flandin and Turiaf 4 reported in favor of its diagnostic value. Findlay 5 expressed the belief that the intravenous test is dangerous. Wlassics 6 found that 30 per cent of his control subjects, chiefly patients with tuberculosis of the skin, gave a positive reaction. The difference in the reports of some of the investigators may be accounted for by differences in potency and amount of antigen used. The question of patients with mixed infections