[Possible relationship between bacterial surface structures, immune-adherence, chemotaxis and phagocytosis (author's...

In the present study we attempted to determine the relationship between bacterial surface structures, immune adherence, chemotaxis and phagocytosis. As shown in table 1 encapsulated bacteria (Klebsiella ozanae, K. pneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, Streptococcus pneumoniae), Mycoplasma pneumoniae and M. fermentans had a much lower immune adherence-activity than non-encapsulated bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Brucella abortus, Erysipelothrix insidiosa, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, S. typhi). Consequently, the former bacteria, in the absece of specific antibodies, activated complement via the C-3-bypass to a smaller extent than the latter. In modified Boyden chambers the encapsulated bacteria and the mycoplasmas were much less cytotaxigenic than the non-encapsulated bacteria (table 3). Corresponding to this was the chemotactic response in vivo. Finally the rates of phagocytosis were considerably lower with the encapsulated bacteria than with the non-encapsulated ones (fig. 1).