In vitro studies of haemolysis by Leptospira interrogans serovars pomona and ballum

Washed and unwashed red blood cells (RBC) from young calves, adult cattle, hamsters and humans were incubated with Leptospira interrogans serovars pomona and ballum. Washed cells suspended in saline were always haemolysed while unwashed cells and those which were washed and resuspended in plasma were never haemolysed, despite the presence of large numbers of organisms within the culture supernatant. Pomona produced greater haemolysis of cattle and human RBC than did ballum, but with hamster RBC ballum produced greater haemolysis than did pomona. A group of 6- to 9-month-old cattle infected with pomona showed no signs of clinical disease and RBC taken from them before infection and during the development of antibodies to pomona were haemolysed by pomona only after the cells were washed. Plasma therefore appears to have a protective function. This in vitro protective function of plasma even extended to plasma from young seronegative calves.