Production of the first effective hyperimmune equine serum antivenom against Africanized bees.
Victims of massive bee attacks become extremely ill, presenting symptoms ranging from dizziness and headache to acute renal failure and multiple organ failure that can lead to death. Previous attempts to develop specific antivenom to treat these victims have been unsuccessful. We herein report a F(ab)(´)(2)-based antivenom raised in horse as a potential new treatment for victims of multiple bee stings. The final product contains high specific IgG titers and is effective in neutralizing toxic effects, such as hemolysis, cytotoxicity and myotoxicity. The assessment of neutralization was revised and hemolysis, the primary toxic effect of these stings, was fully neutralized in vivo for the first time.
Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, FMUSP, São Paulo, Brazil ; Institute for Investigation in Immunology-INCT, São Paulo, SP, Brazil ; Heart Institute (InCor), LIM-19, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Keity Souza
KS
Santos
Marco Antonio
MA
Stephano
José Roberto
JR
Marcelino
Virginia Maria Resende
VM
Ferreira
Thalita
T
Rocha
Celso
C
Caricati
Hisako Gondo
HG
Higashi
Ana Maria
AM
Moro
Jorge Elias
JE
Kalil
Osmar
O
Malaspina
Fabio Fernandes Morato
FF
Castro
Mário Sérgio
MS
Palma
D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000276:immunology; D000997:Antivenins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000633:toxicity; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000276:immunology*; D001516:Bees / Q000276:immunology*; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000276:immunology; D006736:Horses; D007114:Immunization; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009500:Neutralization Tests
D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000997:Antivenins; D001514:Bee Venoms; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D007074:Immunoglobulin G