title: Passive protection against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in an experimental leukopenic mouse model.
abstract: An experimental leukopenic mouse model was used to evaluate the protective capacities of immunoglobulin G (IgG) fractions directed against toxin A (AT-IgG), elastase (AE-IgG), and lipopolysaccharide (ALPS-IgG) against fatal Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Statistically significant protection, as measured by long-term survival, was observed only when mice were treated with serotype-specific ALPS-IgG. The mean lethal dose for P. aeruginosa could be increased by as much as 6,600-fold for mice given ALPS-IgG as compared to mice which received only normal rabbit IgG. ALPS-IgG afforded high levels of protection, even when administered up to 6 h postchallenge. Experiments designed to monitor the growth and spread of a locally administered challenge showed that ALPS-IgG prevented bacteremia and organ colonization, which were pronounced in control animals. The effectiveness of combined antibiotic and immune therapy was tested. Gentamicin alone or in combination with AT-IgG or AE-IgG provided no detectable protection. However, its use with ALPS-IgG afforded substantially higher levels of protection than ALPS-IgG alone.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000276:immunology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000276:immunology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005839:Gentamicins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase