title: Prevention and treatment of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis with anti-rabbit thymocyte serum and gammaglobulin in rabbits.
abstract: Twenty-two rabbits received Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subcutaneously. Six rabbits were treated with 0.5 ml/kg/day of anti-rabbit thymocyte serum (ARTS), and four were treated with 5.0 mg/kg/day of anti-rabbit thymocyte gammaglobulin (ARTG) subcutaneously beginning concomitantly 1, 2 and 3 weeks after the initial AChR immunization. All 12 control animals died of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) within 52 days. None of the 10 treated rabbits developed clinical EAMG. ARTS- and ARTG-treated animals had significantly lower anti-AChR antibody titers than control animals at 3 weeks (pre-AChR booster, p < 0.01). At 6 weeks (post-AChR booster), only ARTS-treated animals had significantly lower titers than controls (p < 0.01). ARTS-treated animals developed sterile abscesses at injection sites, which were minimal in the ARTG-treated group. ARTS and ARTG prevent EAMG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, SUNY-Health Science Center at Brooklyn, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scelsa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frost
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valderrama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Revan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pipia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DiPaola
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D008297:Male; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D011817:Rabbits / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D005719:gamma-Globulins