Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
Characterization of Inflammatory Responses During Intranasal Colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae
Published on: January 17, 2014
TYPE-SPECIFIC PROTECTION AND IMMUNITY FOLLOWING INTRANASAL INOCULATION OF MONKEYS WITH GROUP A HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI
R F Watson1, S Rothbard, H F Swift
1United States Navy Research Unit at the Hospital of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research and the Hospital of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.
Abstract:
1. Nasopharyngeal carrier states of several weeks to several months duration were induced in the Macaca mulatta by the intranasal inoculation with matt strains of group A streptococci. 2. Following such a successful inoculation with a particular type of group A streptococcus, the animal was usually resistant to reimplantation with that same type for several months to a year or more, although reimplantation with a heterologous type could generally be easily effected. 3. This resistance was shown to be closely correlated with the antibodies directed toward the type-specific M antigen, not toward the T antigen of the strains employed. 4. A majority (83.8 per cent) of the animals in which intranasal inoculation was followed by successful implantation developed significant increases in the antistreptolysin O titres of their sera; and in a limited number of instances, type-specific agglutinins and bacteriostatic antibodies were demonstrable in the animals' sera following successful implantation. 5. Nasopharyngeal carrier states could not be induced with the glossy, avirulent variants of group A streptococci; these animals, moreover, failed to show antibody responses and were susceptible to implantation with the matt variants of the homologous glossy strains. 6. The findings are in accord with the known facts regarding immunity to group A streptococci gained through experiments on rodents; and the possible relationship of these observations to the problem of type-specific immunity in human beings is discussed.
Insights
Group A Streptococcus nasal infections in rhesus monkeys create resistance to reinfection, linked to M antigen antibodies. Avirulent strains do not induce immunity or carrier states.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes various infections.
- Understanding immunity to GAS is crucial for prevention and treatment.
- Nasopharyngeal carriage is a key factor in GAS transmission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the development of nasopharyngeal carrier states and immunity to GAS in Macaca mulatta.
- To determine the role of specific streptococcal antigens in inducing resistance.
- To explore the correlation between carrier states, antibody responses, and resistance to reinfection.
Main Methods:
- Intranasal inoculation of Macaca mulatta with virulent (matt) and avirulent (glossy) strains of Group A Streptococcus.
- Assessment of nasopharyngeal carrier states and susceptibility to reimplantation with homologous and heterologous strains.
- Measurement of type-specific antibodies (anti-M antigen, anti-T antigen), antistreptolysin O titres, agglutinins, and bacteriostatic antibodies.
Main Results:
- Successful induction of nasopharyngeal carrier states with matt strains of GAS.
- Developed resistance to reimplantation with homologous strains for extended periods (months to over a year).
- Resistance correlated with antibodies against the type-specific M antigen, not T antigen.
- Significant increase in antistreptolysin O titres observed in 83.8% of animals with successful implantation.
- Avirulent strains failed to induce carrier states or antibody responses and did not confer resistance.
Conclusions:
- Type-specific immunity to Group A Streptococcus in rhesus monkeys is mediated by antibodies to the M antigen.
- Nasopharyngeal colonization with virulent strains can lead to a state of resistance.
- Findings have implications for understanding type-specific immunity in human streptococcal infections.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:27Streptococcal Pharyngitis
01:26Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology
01:29Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens
NK Cells
NK cells are a crucial part of our innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against viral infections. These cells can recognize and kill infected cells without prior exposure to the virus, effectively slowing down the spread of infection. Additionally, NK cells produce proinflammatory...