Introduction of bacterial components in postadsorbed plasma during adsorption with Staphylococcus aureus

In vitro plasma adsorption over either protein A-positive Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC) or protein A-negative S. aureus Wood 46 (SAW) led to leaching of bacterial biomolecules in the postadsorbed plasma. Presence of bacterial moieties was demonstrated in the postadsorbed plasma by more than one method: (1) using radiolabeled bacteria for adsorption with plasma and detecting radioactivity in the postadsorbed plasma, (2) gel filtration of pre- and post-adsorbed plasmas over Sephadex G-200 column and detecting additional peak(s) in the postadsorbed plasma, and (3) immunoelectrophoretic analysis of pre- and postadsorbed plasmas and their column fractions against rabbit anti-SAC antisera and demonstrating new precipitin bands in postadsorbed plasma. Using an extracorporeal plasma adsorption procedure in mongrel dogs, with radiolabeled SAC as the adsorbent, we have demonstrated the presence of radioactivity in both the adsorbed and filtered (0.2 micron) blood entering into the body, and the adsorbed blood that passed out of the body to reenter into the extracorporeal circuit. These data suggest that components of S. aureus origin enter into the host circulation during both in vitro and ex vivo plasma adsorption, although the exact nature of those extracted staphylococcal components remains unknown. This observation is of much significance since it can possibly help elucidate the mechanism of tumor regression observed following perfusion of plasma over SAC or SAW, followed by its reinfusion to the host.