Relationship between the Susceptibility of Various Bacteria to Active Oxygen Species and to Intracellular Killing by Macrophages

SUMMARY: The susceptibilities of six micro-organisms to active oxygen species generated in the xanthine oxidase-mediated bactericidal system were as follows: Escherichia coli 81 ≥ Listeria monocytogenes EGD ≥ Salmonella typhimurium HKB-1 ≥ Staphylococcus aureus Smith ≥ Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv ≥ Candida albicans NIH A207 (the last two organisms were essentially resistant to this system). The H2O2-Fe-mediated halogenation system exhibited a higher microbicidal activity. When the micro-organisms were compared for their sensitivity to bactericidal activity of resident mouse peritoneal macrophages (Møs), C. albicans, Staph, aureus and E. coli were killed rapidly, whereas M. tuberculosis, L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium were more resistant. In tests for the ability to trigger an oxidative burst in mouse peritoneal Møs (as measured by chemiluminescence), Staph, aureus showed the highest activity followed by the other organisms in the following order: C. albicans > E. coli > L. monocytogenes ⋍ M. tuberculosis. S. typhimurium exhibited no triggering activity. The high susceptibility of Staph, aureus and E. coli to Mø bactericidal activity, and the partial resistance of L. monocytogenes and M. tuberculosis, correlated with their susceptibility to active oxygen and the H2O2-Fe-mediated halogenation reaction.