Biological activities of pertussigen from Bordetella pertussis strains of various agglutinogen types.

Pertussigen prepared from Bordetella pertussis strains of various agglutinogen types was found to have similar biological activities in mice, and to give precipitin lines of identity in agar diffusion tests. The doses required to induce histamine hypersensitivity ranged from 0.9 to 9.5 ng, and to induce leukocytosis from 124 to 190 ng. When pertussigen was detoxified by treatment with glutaraldehyde, it protected mice from intracerebral challenge with B. pertussis at doses of from 12.7 to 24.4 micrograms. The results showed that all smooth strains of B. pertussis produced pertussigen that was biologically and serologically similar, and that it was produced independently of fimbrial hemagglutinin.