The Immunology of the Trachoma Agent With a Preliminary Report on Field Trials of Vaccine

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Abstract

Since 1957 knowledge of the immunology of the agent causing trachoma has been increasing rapidly. There is little apparent natural immunity to this disease, but evidence is accumulating that it may be possible to alter the immunologic status in man and other primates by parenteral administration of antigen. Serologic tests at present are unsatisfactory in that the complement fixation test is specific only for the PLT antigens as a group and no simple, widely used agglutination or neutralization test has been developed. There appear to be two main immunologic groups based on mouse protection tests. Several investigators are actively working on vaccines against trachoma, but no wholly satisfactory vaccine has been developed. Preliminary results favoring trachoma vaccines over a control typhoid vaccine in field trials in Saudi Arabia are presented.