Immunological cross-reactivity of oral non-streptococcal bacteria with mammalian tissue.

The presence of cross-reacting antigens between oral non-steptococcal bacteria and human and monkey tissue was investigated by indirect immunofluorescence. Rabbit antisera, prepared against 22 oral bacteria, were incubated with cryostatcut sections of heart, skeletal muscle, brain cord, liver, kidney, and skin. A cell wall antigen of Lactobacillus casei was shared with neuroglial brain cells, and an antigenic component of Propionibacterium acnes was shared with kidney glomeruli. Tissue-reactive antibodies were absorbed from the sera with preparations of both the homologous bacterium and tissue fractions.