Novel bacterial structures in human blood: cultural isolation.

Evidence for the existence of a novel bacteriological system has been obtained from osmotically lysed and filtered human blood (membrane filters with a pore size of 0.22 micronm) placed in special culture media. These blood filtrates gave rise to ordinary bacteria for 71% of the blood specimens processed from diseased humans and for 7% of those from supposedly normal humans. Morphologically, the bacteria resembled streptococcal, staphylococcal, and gram-positive filamentous (cocco-bacillary) forms. Prior to the appearance of bacteria in the media, large and small "dense bodies" were microscopically observed but disappeared when ordinary bacteria were apparent, Cultures of of unlysed blood as conventionally performed were negative. These organisms may represent an adaptation of certain bacteria to life in the blood.