[Effect of delayed hypersensitivity on the development of an intradermal focus of a staphylococcal infection].

Delayed hypersensitivity (DH) was induced in rabbits by introducing killed St. aureus culture in incomplete Freund's adjuvant. 7 days later the animals were infected intradermally with alpha-toxigenic and leukocidin-active St. aureus strains. Under these conditions DH shown to decrease the resistance of the organism of the infection: the infective agent could be isolated from the inoculation site and the regional lymph nodes for a longer period (5-6 days) than in healthy and immunized animals. The active penetration of the infective agent into the kidneys was observed. A suggestion was made that the development of DH resulted in the appearance of the potential possibility of auto- and reinfection in the body: starting from days 7-8 after the inoculated staphylococcal strains were eliminated from the organism, staphylococci could be again isolated from the kidneys and the lymph nodes. No connection between the toxinogenicity of St. aureus strain and the character of the development of the intradermal infection focus was revealed in the sensitized animals.