George D. Heist was an immunologist specializing in the study of infections of meningococcal bacteria that often result in meningococcal disease , which is well known as highly lethal and debilitating, and extremely difficult to treat.

During Dr. Heist's seminal study of the properties of a person's blood serum

Blood serum

In blood, the serum is the component that is neither a blood cell nor a clotting factor; it is the blood plasma with the fibrinogens removed...

 that protect against this bacterium, he died of meningitis

Meningitis

Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...

. It turned out the Heist's own blood lacked the properties that destroy the particular type of meningococcal baceterium that caused his meningitis.

In 1919, Dr Heist and co-workers [Heist et al., 1922] established that clotted blood from different persons varied in its ability to kill Neisseria meningitidis

Neisseria meningitidis

Neisseria meningitidis, often referred to as meningococcus, is a bacterium that can cause meningitis and other forms of meningococcal disease such as meningococcemia, a life threatening sepsis. N. meningitidis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality during childhood in industrialized countries...

in a capillary tube. When Heist, whose blood

Blood

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....

 had no bactericidal activity, acquired an N. meningitidis infection

Infection

An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...

, the link between serum bactericidal activity and resistance to meningococcal infection was proven" (Pollard et al. 2004, p. 1812).

"Dr. George D. Heist of Philadelphia, a scientist

Scientist

A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...

 who gave the first description of complement system

Complement system

The complement system helps or “complements” the ability of antibodies and phagocytic cells to clear pathogens from an organism. It is part of the immune system called the innate immune system that is not adaptable and does not change over the course of an individual's lifetime...

 deficiency and who himself died of meningococcal meningitis. The paper

Paper

Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....

 of Heist et al. (1922) stated: 'The subsequent history of man 'H' illustrates the lack of resistance to meningococcal infection that accompanies absence of bactericidal power against the meningococcus. Man 'H' was no other than Dr. George D. Heist, the chief author of this paper. With no known contact with patient or carrier, in the absence of any known cases in the city, Dr. Heist in August, 1920, developed epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, and although the diagnosis was made early, the patient succumbed--a loss beyond measure to science and to his friends. The unique interest attaching to the case suggests the publication of certain particulars. Dr. Heist was 36 years of age. His father had died at the age of 24 of typhoid fever, the course of which presented many points of similarity to the fatal illness of the son. Four paternal uncles had died of acute illnesses that were said to have 'gone to the head.' The work reported by Heist et al. (1922) concerned bactericidal properties of whole blood against strains of meningococcus. Control blood without bactericidal activity came from Dr. Heist. Schifferli and Hirschel (1985) excluded deficiency of an early component of complement

Complement system

The complement system helps or “complements” the ability of antibodies and phagocytic cells to clear pathogens from an organism. It is part of the immune system called the innate immune system that is not adaptable and does not change over the course of an individual's lifetime...

 because of the absence of recurrent pyogenic infection or features of lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...

. They excluded properdin deficiency, which can be accompanied by susceptibility to meningococcal meningitis, because of its X-linked inheritance (312060)." (McKusic, 2005)