par Linz, Roger ;Lecocq, E.;Mommens, M.
Référence PATH.BIOL., 22, 3, page (201-206)
Publication Publié, 1974
Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : Twenty two patients suffering from an acute meningococcal infection, 55 of their relatives and 15 relatives of 4 other meningococcal patients were studied. Twenty six strains of N. meningitidis were obtained (19 of group B, 5 of group C, 2 of group A). Among the 55 relatives, 21 carried a strain of the same group as their patients', 1 a strain of a different group. Sera of people with no known contact with a patient, and who were not carriers, generally did not agglutinate any suspension of meningococci. Exceptions are discussed. Agglutination of the patients' strains was measured in both sera of the patients and of their relatives. The early sera of 5 patients (i.e. within the first 5 days of the illness) were not agglutinating. On the contrary, the sera of each healthy carrier possessed agglutinins. So did sera of some noncarriers, while other noncarriers did not possess agglutinins. These findings do not seem to support the hypothesis claiming that humoral immunity plays a major role in protecting against acute meningococcal infection.