Role of immunity in the clearance of bacteremia due to Haemophilus influenzae.

The role of antibodies to capsular and somatic antigens in the clearance of Haemophilus influenzae was investigated by active and passive immunization. The clearance index (k) and the proportion of strain b organisms cleared 30 min after intravenous administration (deltaY30) were greater in eight-week-old actively immunized rats (k = 0.693, deltaY30 = 4.07) than in nonimmune animals (k = 0.075, deltaY30 = 0.95)(P less than 0.025 for all); however, clearance correlated imprecisely with titers of bactericidal or anticapsular antibody. In three-week-old rats, intranasal immunization with strain b or U significantly increased (P less than 0.005) the rate of clearance of strains b and U. Passive immunization with antibodies to somatic or capsular antigens significantly increased the rate of clearance (P less than 0.001) and the proportion of bacteria cleared (P less than 0.05) with all test strains. The increased clearance associated with passive immunization correlated with increased splenic uptake of 32P-labeled H. influenzae (r = 0.83, P less than 0.025). Analysis of the disappearance of viable organisms and bacterial 32P suggested that bacteriolysis of H. influenzae did not occur during clearance of the bacteremia. Either antibody to capsular antigen or antibody to somatic antigen, administered or evoked in rats, accelerates intravenous clearance of H. influenzae by promotion of reticuloendothelial phagocytosis.