CHAPTER VIII 



Immune Bodies Circulating 

 in the Blood 



1. SUPERFICIAL FUNGOUS DISEASES 



GREENBAUM investigated the Kolmer complement fixation test as 

 applied to a group of serums obtained from patients suffering from 

 a variety of superficial ringworm infections. The negative results indi- 

 cated that the test is valueless and that few or no antibodies develop in 

 the course of superficial ringworm. Precipitins were demonstrated in rabbit 

 serums after infections with several different dermatophytes ( Citron, Sharp, 

 etc.). Kusunoki failed to demonstrate either precipitins or complement- 

 fixing antibodies in experimental animals or in man infected with ring- 

 worm fungi. 



As we have mentioned, Marcussen and others have demonstrated circu- 

 lating antibodies, evidenced by passive transfer tests. In our observations 

 this finding was obtained only in patients with infections due to T. pur- 

 pureum. Per and Braude, Jessner, and Ayres and Anderson have demon- 

 strated antibodies in patients exhibiting allergic rashes due to fungi. Ayres 

 and Anderson showed that serum obtained from a patient with a tricho- 

 phytid, if mixed with Sabouraud's agar in the proportion of 8 per cent, 

 was completely fungistatic. Control tests which utilized serum of subjects 

 free from infections or with infections localized to the feet showed no 

 inhibition of fungi seeded on the medium. Traub achieved partial success 

 with the therapeutic administration of serum obtained from patients who 

 had been cured of trichophytid. Our unreported experiences have not 

 entirely confirmed the reports of these investigators. When serums ob- 

 tained from patients with trichophytid were added to dextrose agar, we 

 noted partial inhibition, evidenced by a diminution in the diameter of 

 the resultant growth. However, in a few instances retardation of the cultural 



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