title: Immunotherapy in acute arsenic poisoning.
abstract: We investigated the use of immunotherapy on the treatment of sodium arsenite toxicity. Female balb/c mice injected with arsanilic acid conjugated to a carrier protein (ovalbumin) were shown to produce antibodies (arsenic reactive serum, ARS) reactive with arsanilic acid and sodium arsenite. Serum was tested for anti-ARS antibodies using a solid phase radioimmunoassay. The antisera bound to ARS conjugated to the synthetic copolymer glutamic acid60 tyrosine30 when diluted as high as 1:4096. Following multiple injections of 100 micrograms of arsanilic acid--ovalbumin compound, mortality on injection with sodium arsenite 0.87 mg/kg i.p. one week later decreased to 0 deaths in 22 pretreated mice vs 9 deaths in 29 untreated mice (31% mortality; p less than .005). No decrease in mortality was noted at higher challenges (1.15 mg/kg) of sodium arsenite. Antisera from pretreated mice was injected 0.1 cc i.p. into 12 week old female balb/c mice followed by an injection of sodium arsenite 0.87 mg/kg i.p. at 10 minutes. Again a protective effect was observed with 0 deaths in 18 mice vs eight deaths in 21 mice (38%; p less than .005). Seventeen additional mice were given an injection of 0.87 mg/kg i.p. of sodium arsenite. After 30 minutes, all mice became symptomatic whereupon antisera 0.1 cc i.p. was given. The one day mortality (2/17, 12%) was possibly lower than the combined control mortality (17/50, 34%; p less than 0.07). There was no change in mortality noted when antisera was administered to mice acutely exposed to 5 mg/kg HgCl2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Rush-Presbyterian, St. Luke's Medical Center.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Leikin
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Goldman-Leikin
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiener
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Hryhorczuk
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001147:Arsanilic Acid / Q000276:immunology*; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005260:Female; D007167:Immunotherapy; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin; D011041:Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D010047:Ovalbumin; D001147:Arsanilic Acid