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Phages in the international basic set used for routine typing of Staphylococcus aureus were grouped serologically with the indirect haemagglutination inhibition test. The results showed complete agreement with the serological division of these phages into 4 groups: A, B, F and L, which had earlier been done by neutralizing tests. 33 additional phages isolated from 29 Staphylococcus aureus strains of human source were investigated and found to belong to group A or B. Phages of each group were antigenically identical and showed no crossreaction with phages of any other group.

396 Haemophilus influenzae strains were biotyped according to Kilian. 393 of the strains were assigned to biotypes I to V, while 3 strains remained unclassified. Eighty-nine per cent of the capsulated strains produced both urease and ornithine decarboxylase, biotypes I or IV, while 95 per cent of the non-capsulated strains produced only one of the enzymes, biotypes II, III, or V. Of consecutive strains from the upper respiratory tract, the incidence of beta-lactamase-positive strains was higher among capsulated than among non-capsulated strains (p less than 0.025). None of 133 non-capsulated beta-lactamase-positive strains produced both urease and ornithine decarboxylase, in contrast to 15 out of 147 non-capsulated beta-lactamase-negative strains (p less than 0.001). The type e strains were all of biotype IV and 3 of 7 consecutive strains were beta-lactamase-positive.

Antibodies to IgA were detected in two males with hypogammaglobulinaemia. The antibodies were demonstrated to belong to the IgG class. In both patients low serum levels of IgG and IgM but no IgA were found. On two occasions one of the patients reacted with severe side reactions within a few seconds after an intramuscularly given injection of gammaglobulin. The other patient had received monthly intramuscular injections of gammaglobulin over a period of 2 years when the anti-IgA antibodies first appeared and has since then been regularly treated for 1 1/2 years without any signs of adverse reactions. In five additional patients with hypogammaglobulinaemia and side reactions after i.m. injections of gammaglobulin no antibodies to IgA, IgG or Gm-determinants were detected.