title: Efficacy of immune therapy in early experimental Naegleria fowleri meningitis.
abstract: Naegleria fowleri meningoencephalitis is usually fatal in humans despite treatment. As a new approach, we tested intracisternal passive immune therapy in rabbits with amebic meningoencephalitis by using antinaegleria immune serum, an immunoglobulin G fraction, and a newly developed monoclonal antibody to N. fowleri. Both the immune serum and an immunoglobulin G fraction isolated from it by affinity chromatography provided a consistent, although temporary, protective effect, shown by prolongation of survival (P = 0.001). Multiple doses of immune serum further prolonged survival (P = 0.005). The protective effect of serum was retained after heating to 56 degrees C. We then developed a monoclonal antibody to N. fowleri which provided similar protection. Passive intracisternal antibody therapy might serve as an adjunctive component in the treatment of amebic meningoencephalitis.
mesh_terms: D000562:Amebiasis / Q000628:therapy*; D000656:Amoeba / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000628:therapy*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G