Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1976 May 1;143(5):1186–1198. doi: 10.1084/jem.143.5.1186

Immunity to the group B streptococci: interaction of serum and macrophages with types Ia, Ib, and Ic

PMCID: PMC2190194  PMID: 772153

Abstract

The opsonization and phagocytosis of group B streptococci of types Ia, Ib, and Ic were studied in vitro by measuring the uptake of radioactivity by coverslip cultures of rabbit alevolar macrophages during incubation with radiolabeled, nonviable bacteria which had been exposed to rabbit serum. The uptake of counts per minute was quantitative, reproducible, and reversibly inhibited by cold, indicating that it was largely a measurement of phagocytic ingestion rather than of attachment of bacteria-immunoglobulin complexes to macrophage membranes. Moreover, suspended macrophages killed approximately 90% of viable streptococci in the presence of specific antiserum. The opsonic activity of immune serum was heat stable, and phagocytosis of streptococci was insignificant after incubation with normal serum and antiserum to some heterologous group B streptococci. By absorption studies, it was possible to identify the effect of antibodies to specific bacterial antigens. Phagocytosis of streptococci containing the corresponding antigens was maximal after opsonization with homologous or heterologous sera containing antibody to IaCHO, IbCHO, or Ibc protein. Phagocytosis of all three serotypes was intermediate when opsonization could be attributed to anti-IabcCHO. The opsonization of a specific group B streptococcus is complex and may involve two or more antigen-antibody systems.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (983.5 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baker C. J., Kasper D. L. Identification of sialic acid in polysaccharide antigens in group B Streptococcus. Infect Immun. 1976 Jan;13(1):284–288. doi: 10.1128/iai.13.1.284-288.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dossett J. H., Williams R. C., Jr, Quie P. G. Studies on interaction of bacteria, serum factors and polymorphonuclear leukocytes in mothers and newborns. Pediatrics. 1969 Jul;44(1):49–57. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Freimer E. H. Type-specific polysaccharide antigens of group B streptococci. II. The chemical basis for serological specificity of the type II HCl antigen. J Exp Med. 1967 Mar 1;125(3):381–392. doi: 10.1084/jem.125.3.381. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. HIRSCH J. G., CHURCH A. B. Studies of phagocytosis of group A streptococci by polymorphonuclear leucocytes in vitro. J Exp Med. 1960 Mar 1;111:309–322. doi: 10.1084/jem.111.3.309. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Klesius P. H., Zimmerman R. A., Mathews J. H., Krushak D. H. Cellular and humoral immune response to group B streptococci. J Pediatr. 1973 Dec;83(6):926–932. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(73)80525-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. LANCEFIELD R. C. Differentiation of group A streptococci with a common R antigen into three serological types, with special reference to the bactericidal test. J Exp Med. 1957 Oct 1;106(4):525–544. doi: 10.1084/jem.106.4.525. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lancefield R. C. A SEROLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION OF HUMAN AND OTHER GROUPS OF HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI. J Exp Med. 1933 Mar 31;57(4):571–595. doi: 10.1084/jem.57.4.571. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lancefield R. C. A SEROLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION OF SPECIFIC TYPES OF BOVINE HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI (GROUP B). J Exp Med. 1934 Mar 31;59(4):441–458. doi: 10.1084/jem.59.4.441. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lancefield R. C., Freimer E. H. Type-specific polysaccharide antigens of group B streptococci. J Hyg (Lond) 1966 Jun;64(2):191–203. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400040456. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lancefield R. C., McCarty M., Everly W. N. Multiple mouse-protective antibodies directed against group B streptococci. Special reference to antibodies effective against protein antigens. J Exp Med. 1975 Jul 1;142(1):165–179. doi: 10.1084/jem.142.1.165. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lancefield R. C. TWO SEROLOGICAL TYPES OF GROUP B HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI WITH RELATED, BUT NOT IDENTICAL, TYPE-SPECIFIC SUBSTANCES. J Exp Med. 1938 Jan 1;67(1):25–40. doi: 10.1084/jem.67.1.25. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. PATTISON I. H., MATTHEWS P. R., MAXTED W. R. Type classification by Lancefield's precipitin method of human and bovine group-B streptococci isolated in Britain. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1955 Jan-Apr;69(1-2):43–50. doi: 10.1002/path.1700690108. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Quie P. G., White J. G., Holmes B., Good R. A. In vitro bactericidal capacity of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes: diminished activity in chronic granulomatous disease of childhood. J Clin Invest. 1967 Apr;46(4):668–679. doi: 10.1172/JCI105568. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rabinovitch M. The dissociation of the attachment and ingestion phases of phagocytosis by macrophages. Exp Cell Res. 1967 Apr;46(1):19–28. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(67)90405-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Reynolds H. Y., Thompson R. E. Pulmonary host defenses. II. Interaction of respiratory antibodies with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and alveolar macrophages. J Immunol. 1973 Aug;111(2):369–380. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Rothbard S. BACTERIOSTATIC EFFECT OF HUMAN SERA ON GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI : II. COMPARATIVE BACTERIOSTATIC EFFECT OF NORMAL WHOLE BLOOD FROM DIFFERENT ANIMAL SPECIES IN THE PRESENCE OF HUMAN CONVALESCENT SERA. J Exp Med. 1945 Aug 1;82(2):107–118. doi: 10.1084/jem.82.2.107. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Russell H., Norcross N. L. The isolation and some physiochemical and biologic properties of the type 3 antigen of group B streptococci. J Immunol. 1972 Jul;109(1):90–96. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. STOLLERMAN G. H., RYTEL M., ORTIZ J. Accessory plasma factors involved in the bactericidal test for type-specific antibody to group A Streptococci. II. Human plasma cofactor (s) enhancing opsonization of encapsulated organisms. J Exp Med. 1963 Jan 1;117:1–17. doi: 10.1084/jem.117.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Stulting R. D., Berke G. Nature of lymphocyte-tumor interaction. A general method for cellular immunoabsorption. J Exp Med. 1973 Apr 1;137(4):932–942. doi: 10.1084/jem.137.4.932. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wilkinson H. W., Eagon R. G. Type-specific antigens of group B type Ic streptococci. Infect Immun. 1971 Nov;4(5):596–604. doi: 10.1128/iai.4.5.596-604.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wilkinson H. W., Facklam R. R., Wortham E. C. Distribution by serological type of group B streptococci isolated from a variety of clinical material over a five-year period (with special reference to neonatal sepsis and meningitis). Infect Immun. 1973 Aug;8(2):228–235. doi: 10.1128/iai.8.2.228-235.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Wilkinson H. W. Immunochemistry of purified polysaccharide type antigens of group B streptococcal types Ia, Ib, and Ic. Infect Immun. 1975 Apr;11(4):845–852. doi: 10.1128/iai.11.4.845-852.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Wilkinson H. W., Moody M. D. Serological relationships of type I antigens of group B streptococci. J Bacteriol. 1969 Feb;97(2):629–634. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.2.629-634.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES