Treatment of experimental Cryptococcus neoformans infection in newborn rabbits by airway instillation of specific antibody and surfactant.
Cryptococcosis in AIDS patients has a slow response to antifungal chemotherapy, and passive antibody treatment has thus been considered as an adjunct. Polyclonal anticryptococcal IgG dissolved in a suspension of modified natural surfactant was given intratracheally to near-term rabbits. Killing of Cryptococcus neoformans within the lungs was determined by counting the colony forming units (cfu). After 5 h a significant decrease in cfu was observed in rabbits treated with the IgG-surfactant mixture compared with control animals receiving saline. In conjunction with conventional therapy, the combined treatment of IgG-surfactant given by bronchoscopy might be used in high-risk patients to enhance killing of the yeast within the lungs.
Gross
N T
NT
Division of Clinical Bacteriology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology, Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Huddinge Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden. norma.gross@impi.ki.se
Jarstrand
C
C
Robertson
B
B
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000628:therapy*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011817:Rabbits; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013501:Surface-Active Agents