A third mechanism of serum resistance in Escherichia coli

We investigated 53 strains of E. coli and classified them by their C3 and factor H binding patterns in the immunofluorescence test. The strains could be divided into three groups. The mechanisms for strains of group I and II have already been described. In the present study, we examined the binding of C3, C5 and C9 to bacteria of groupe III, using different test systems. We were interested in the mechanisms of serum resistance in these strains, which have been characterized by binding of both C3 and factor H