COMPLEMENT SENSITIVITY OF ENTAMOEBA-HISTOLYTICA AND VARIOUS NONPATHOGENIC AMEBA SPECIES

Culture forms of the potentially pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica were compared to those of the nonpathogenic species of E. dispar, E. hartm anni, E. coli, Endolimax nana, and E. moshkovskii regarding the sensit ivity to lysis by human complement activated through the alternative p athway. E. dispar was found unique in its complement resistance; all o ther nonpathogenic isolates resembled E. histolytica in that they were complement sensitive. Thus, a state of complement sensitivity is not a particular property of potentially pathogenic amoebae.