[Antibodies against staphylococci in patients of a department for orthopedic surgery (author's transl)].

Sera from different groups of patients in a department of traumatic surgery were examined for staphylococcal alpha-antitoxin-titres. In comparison to a group of normal controls the following changes were found: 1. Patients, had significantly raised titres, if they had undergone surgery because of closed fractures, pseudarthrosis and luxations and even if the postoperative course was uneventful. This can be explained through the wide-spread occurrence of staphylococci in hospitals, which can invade the organisms through an incision, the skin or mucous membranes. These findings should be kept in mind while estimating staphylococcal antitoxin-titres in patients hospitalized over a long period. 2. Patients suffering from surgical infections and also paraplegics showed still more significantly raised antitoxin-titres in comparison to the normal controls or to patients, who had undergone aseptic surgery. Increased titres were found even in the sera of patients, whose wounds did not drain staphylococcus aureus. Patients suffering from chronic staphylococcal osteomyelitis showed the highest mean values of antitoxin-titres; these patients, however, had also the greatest variations with high and low levels. The question arouse whether a high or a low level corresponds to the severity of the disease. It was found that it is necessary to titrate different antibodies against staphylococcal toxins. In a second paper the results of the simultaneous determination of alpha-antitoxin and anti-PV-leucocidin in patients with posttraumatic bone infections will be presented.