[Human sera as a source of anti-OF antibodies for the typing of group-A streptococci].

For typing group A streptococci anti-OF rabbit or guinea-pig sera are usually used in the Al-apoproteinase neutralization test. Still in view of the fact that the technology of the preparation of anti-OF sera with the use of laboratory animals is labor consuming and demands great expense, the use of human donor sera is expedient. A good basis for it is created by a wide spread of streptococcal diseases. At the same time it is impossible to provide a full set of anti-OF sera by the efforts of one laboratory in a single geographical region due to the absence of some types in a given population; for this reason the international bank of sera from donors having antibodies to OF(+) of group A streptococci has been created.