STUDIES ON THE LYSOZYME INDEPENDENCE OF IMMUNE IMMOBILIZATION OF TREPONEMA-PALLIDUM AND THE FREQUENCY OF LYSOZYME AUTOANTIBODIES IN SYPHILITIC SERA

The role of lysozyme in the immune immobilisation of Treponema pallidu m is not yet fully understood, The T. pallidum immobilisation assay wa s used to demonstrate that the immobilisation and lysis of T. pallidum in vitro by antibodies (serum, Ige fraction or IgM fraction) and comp lement proceed in a lysozyme-independent mode. In the presence of lyso zyme the rate of immobilisation increased. In contrast with its effect on Escherichia coli, the effect of lysozyme on T. pallidum was govern ed exclusively by its enzymic activity rather than by the cationic pro tein nature of the molecule, Lysozyme, released from stimulated phagoc ytes, induced formation of lysozyme antibodies in 59.6% of syphilis pa tients as determined by lysozyme antibody ELISA. The highest frequency was found in patients,vith untreated secondary syphilis, whereas untr eated primary syphilis was only rarely accompanied by the presence of lysozyme antibodies, Crossreactivities between lysozyme and treponemal antigens were excluded by immunoblotting, The autoantibodies did not influence the lysozyme activity, It was concluded that the formation o f lysozyme antibodies is only an epiphenomenon in the host defence aga inst treponemal infection.