PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA AND CYSTIC-FIBROSIS - INTRASTRAIN VARIABILITY IN RELATION TO INTENSITY OF IMMUNE-RESPONSE AND CLINICAL OUTCOME

Over periods exceeding two years, 63 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains is olated from three children with cystic fibrosis were characterized usi ng a 154 character auxanogram. Numerical analysis was carried out to e stablish intrastrain variability in relation to intensity of immune re sponse and clinical outcome. For two patients, strains segregated in t wo distinct phenons. For the last patient, strains did not cluster. Th e degree of intrastrain variability during the infection was correlate d with an increasing number of precipitins and with an unfavorable cli nical outcome. This would suggest that strains which have a singular p otential for antigenic variability are more likely to promote a host-b acteria conflict.