Staphylococcal Teichoic Acid Antibody in the Sera of Patients with Burns

Abstract

THE sera of patients suffering from extensive burns have been found by one of us (J. K.) to contain precipitating antibodies to components of Staphylococcus aureus extracts. The presence of the antibodies was demonstrated by immunodiffusion methods from about two weeks after the first isolation of Staphylococci from the burned area. The more discriminating technique of immunoelectrophoresis showed that one of these numerous Staphylococcal cell-components migrated rapidly towards the anode (its mobility similar to that of a phenol red marker). We have called this rapidly migrating component ‘fast anodic antigen’ (FAA); the antibody to it has only occasionally been found in normal human sera by the usual immunodiffusion methods. FAA is not an exotoxin but corresponds to a component of the cell wall.