[Lysozyme activity of pneumococci].

Examination of 329 pneumococcal strains showed that 41.2 per cent of the cultures had lysozyme activity. The frequency of the lysozyme feature depended on the method used. The lysozyme active strains were more frequently isolated from patients than from healthy persons and characterized by antibiotic resistance. The lysozyme feature correlated with the pneumococcal virulence with respect to albino mice, capacity for capsule formaiton and resistance to phagocytosis.