Antibody response to alpha- and betahemolysin from Staphylococcus aureus in patients with staphylococcal infections and in normals.

One hundred and nineteen patients with S. aureus infections and 22 patients with non-S. aureus septicemia were investigated for anti-alpha hemolysin antibodies using a radioimmunoassay (RIA). As compared to 16- healthy controls, patients with S. aureus endocarditis, septicemia, chronic osteomyelitis and recurrent furunculosis showed significantly higher antibody levels, while the non-S. aureus septicemia group showed normal levels. Corresponding results were obtained using the conventional anti-staphylolysin (ASTA) test. Only patients with recurrent furunculosis had significantly elevated anti-beta hemolysin antibody levels assessed by RIA, in comparison with healthy controls. The highest antibody levels were found in furunculosis patients infected with S. aureus strains which were high producers of beta hemolysin. The results indicate that furunculosis patients do not have a defective serological response against S. aureus beta hemolysin.