Corynebacterium parvum: immunomodulation in local bacterial infections.

Inoculation with Corynebacterium parvum 14 days before bacterial challenge produced protection against murine-simulated surgical wound infection with Escherichia coli to the same degree as had been provided by Bacillus Calmette-Guerin pretreatment. Simulated surgical wound infection induced by Staphylococcus aureus in mice followed a much more variable course; bacterial growth was depressed 7 days after C. parvum inoculation and was equivocal at a 14 day interval. Unlike E. coli infection modified by C. parvum or BCG, bacterial growth was significantly enhanced when the interval between C. parvum inoculation and S. aureus challenge was 20 or 28 days. Explanations for these differences and their possible clinical relevance are discussed.