[The pathogenicity enzymes of clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae].

In 108 K. pneumoniae clinical strains isolated in pneumonia (32 strains), inflammatory processes of the urinary tracts (36 strains) and toxicoseptic states (40 strains) caseinolytic, gelatinase, phosphatase, lecithinase activities and the capacity for producing DNAase and RNAase were studied. The presence of caseinolytic activity was found in 38 cultures (35.1%), gelatinase activity in 37 cultures (34.2%) and lecithinase activity in 13 cultures (12.0%). The production of RNAase was noted in 74 strains (68.5%), DNAase in 56 strains (51.8%) and acidic phosphatase in 33 strains (30.5%). The role of the above-mentioned enzymes in the development of purulent inflammatory processes, as well as the importance of further studies, including those aimed at establishing the nature of the genetic control of the already known properties of the pathogen, are discussed.