Home LiteratureArticle Details
PMID: 782050 Published · ppublish English Biography Historical Article Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Causation and disease: the Henle-Koch postulates revisited.

The Yale journal of biology and medicine ·Vol. 49 ·No. 2 ·1976-05-00 ·Pages 175-95

Evans AS

Abstract

The Henle-Koch postulates are reviewed in terms of their full validity in Koch's day and in light of subsequent developments. The changing guidelines developed for viral diseases, for viruses in relation to cancer and to chronic central nervous system infection, and for causative agents in chronic diseases are discussed chronologically. A set of guidelines for both acute infectious and chronic diseases is presented. The need for recognizing the role of the host and the spectrum of host responses, for sound biologic sense in evaluating causal roles of agents in disease, and for flexibility in adapting our guidelines to new knowledge are emphasized.

MeSH Terms
Acute Disease Animals Bacteriology/history Chronic Disease Germany History, 19th Century History, 20th Century Humans Infections/etiology Mice Neoplasms/etiology Nervous System Diseases/etiology United States Virology/history Virus Diseases/etiology
Authors & Affiliations
1 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Evans A S
References (36)
36 references, click to expand
  1. Chronic progressive panencephalitis due to rubella virus simulating subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.
    N Engl J Med. 1975 May 8;292(19):994-8 PMID: 47149
  2. Mononucleosis-associated subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.
    Lancet. 1975 Sep 20;2(7934):530-2 PMID: 51346
  3. The Epstein-Barr virus and neoplasia.
    N Engl J Med. 1975 Dec 25;293(26):1353-7 PMID: 171578
  4. The heterogeneity of Australia antigen.
    J Infect Dis. 1971 Jun;123(6):671-5 PMID: 4106744
  5. Detection of additional antigenic determinants of hepatitis B antigen.
    J Immunol. 1972 Oct;109(4):842-8 PMID: 4116360
  6. Burkitt's tumors contain particles encapsulating RNA-instructed DNA polymerase and high molecular weight virus-related RNA.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1973 Mar;70(3):737-41 PMID: 4123690
  7. Immunofluorescence in cells derived from Burkitt's lymphoma.
    J Bacteriol. 1966 Mar;91(3):1248-56 PMID: 4160230
  8. Infectious hepatitis. Evidence for two distinctive clinical, epidemiological, and immunological types of infection.
    JAMA. 1967 May 1;200(5):365-73 PMID: 4164595
  9. Limitations of the germ theory.
    Lancet. 1968 May 18;1(7551):1077-81 PMID: 4171755
  10. Viral hepatitis. New light on an old disease.
    JAMA. 1970 May 11;212(6):1019-29 PMID: 4191502
  11. Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Experimental models of noninflammatory degenerative slow virus disease of the central nervous system.
    Ann Clin Res. 1973 Oct;5(5):254-61 PMID: 4209650
  12. Infectious-mononucleosis-like disease with negative heterophil agglutination test. Clinical features in relation to Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus antibodies.
    J Infect Dis. 1970 Jun;121(6):608-14 PMID: 4316146
  13. Prospective studies of a group of Yale University freshmen. I. Occurrence of infectious mononucleosis.
    J Infect Dis. 1971 Mar;123(3):263-70 PMID: 4329526
  14. Etiology of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Identification of papovavirus.
    N Engl J Med. 1973 Dec 13;289(24):1278-82 PMID: 4356147
  15. A prospective sero-epidemiological study to investigate the role of EBV in Burkitt's lymphoma.
    Bibl Haematol. 1973;39:448-56 PMID: 4360175
  16. The association of herpesvirus type 2 infection and cervical cancer.
    Prev Med. 1974 Mar;3(1):122-41 PMID: 4360935
  17. Homology between Burkitt herpes viral DNA and DNA in continuous lymphoblastoid cells from patients with infectious mononucleosis.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Feb;71(2):355-8 PMID: 4360941
  18. Pilot experiments with EB virus in owl monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus). I Reticuloproliferative disease in an inoculated animal.
    Int J Cancer. 1973 Sep 15;12(2):309-18 PMID: 4365091
  19. Infectious mononucleosis at the United States Military Academy. A prospective study of a single class over four years.
    Yale J Biol Med. 1974 Sep;47(3):182-95 PMID: 4374836
  20. Pettenkofer revisited: the life and contributions of Max von Pettenkofer (1818-1901).
    Yale J Biol Med. 1973 Jun;46(3):161-76 PMID: 4611055
  21. Seroepidemiologic studies of infectious mononucleosis with EB virus.
    N Engl J Med. 1968 Nov 21;279(21):1121-7 PMID: 4879667
  22. Epstein-Barr virus-associated antibody patterns in carcinoma of the post-nasal space.
    Clin Exp Immunol. 1969 Nov;5(5):443-59 PMID: 4902604
  23. Cholesterol-phospholipid ratio in the prediction of coronary heart disease. The Framingham study.
    N Engl J Med. 1966 Mar 31;274(13):701-5 PMID: 5908872
  24. Criteria for etiologic association of prevalent viruses with prevalent diseases; the virologist's dilemma.
    Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1957 Apr 19;67(8):430-8 PMID: 13411978
  25. A sarcoma involving the jaws in African children.
    Br J Surg. 1958 Nov;46(197):218-23 PMID: 13628987
  26. A "NEW" ANTIGEN IN LEUKEMIA SERA.
    JAMA. 1965 Feb 15;191:541-6 PMID: 14239025
  27. Tobacco smoking as a possible etiologic factor in bronchiogenic carcinoma; a study of 684 proved cases.
    J Am Med Assoc. 1950 May 27;143(4):329-36 PMID: 15415260
  28. The oncogenicity of Epstein-Barr virus.
    J Infect Dis. 1974 Aug;130(2):187-205 PMID: 4366977
  29. Epidemiology of infectious and non-infectious disease: some comparisons.
    Am J Epidemiol. 1973 Mar;97(3):135-47 PMID: 4571279
  30. Infectious mononucleosis. Clinical manifestations in relation to EB virus antibodies.
    JAMA. 1968 Jan 15;203(3):205-9 PMID: 4864269
  31. The Seattle virus watch. II. Objectives, study population and its observation, data processing and summary of illnesses.
    Am J Epidemiol. 1972 Oct;96(4):270-85 PMID: 5074683
  32. Clinical syndromes in adults caused by respiratory infection.
    Med Clin North Am. 1967 May;51(3):803-18 PMID: 6023806
  33. The occurrence of lung cancer in man.
    Acta Unio Int Contra Cancrum. 1953;9(3):531-41 PMID: 13124110
  34. Studies on the development of natural immunity to poliomyelitis in Louisiana. I. Over-all plan, methods and observations as to patterns of seroimmunity in the study group.
    Am J Hyg. 1957 May;65(3):344-66 PMID: 13424521
  35. VIRUS PARTICLES IN CULTURED LYMPHOBLASTS FROM BURKITT'S LYMPHOMA.
    Lancet. 1964 Mar 28;1(7335):702-3 PMID: 14107961
  36. SWINE INFLUENZA : III. FILTRATION EXPERIMENTS AND ETIOLOGY.
    J Exp Med. 1931 Jul 31;54(3):373-85 PMID: 19869924
Article Info
Journal
The Yale journal of biology and medicine
Abbr.
Yale J Biol Med
ISSN
0044-0086
Published
1976-05-00
Pages
175-95
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0417414
PMCID
PMC2595276
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source PMC Full Text View journal details
Analysis Services
Analysis Services

Contact

No. 2 Wenbo Road, Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong

Qilu Normal University · Genelibs Bioinformatics Lab

750 Shunhua Rd, Jinan

2F, Bldg F, University Science Park

Tel: 0531-88819269

WeChat Official Account

Follow our WeChat subscription account for real-time updates and the latest in medical and biological research.


Business Email

E-mail: [email protected]

Copyright © 2026.Genelibs Jinan Honghui Biotechnology Co., Ltd. 鲁ICP备20007159号-2