Neisseria meningitidis group B capsular polysaccharide. Bacterial content and release in relation to categories of infection and filtrability of released endotoxin.

A total of 41 Neissera meningitidis isolates were analyzed for capsular polysaccharide (CP) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) release and filtrability. Twenty-two of these isolates were serogroup B from blood or cerebrospinal fluid of patients, five were group B isolates from healthy throat carriers, and 14 were nongroupable (acapsular) meningococcal isolates from healthy carriers. Filtration of liquid whole-cell cultures through cellulose acetate-nitrate filters resulted in distinctly lower LPS filtrate activity for acapsular than for capsular meningococci (p less than 0.001). On the other hand, when polysulfone membrane filtration was performed, filtrates from acapsular and capsular meningococci contained LPS in similar amounts. These results indicate that LPS-containing particles released from acapsular isolates are larger or more aggregated than corresponding CP- and LPS-containing particles released from capsular isolates. The LPS released from acapsular isolates apparently are more efficiently retained by adsorption to cellulose acetate-nitrate. From the capsular isolates comparatively more CP than LPS appeared to be released, as related to cell-bound amounts. The total amounts of CP and released, filtrable LPS through cellulose acetate-nitrate filters were both relatively low and had similar values for capsular carrier meningococci and systemic isolates from mild meningococcal disease. The amount of CP released and passing this type of membrane was significantly higher for systemic isolates from severe septicemia than from mild meningococcal disease (p = 0.03).