title: Effect of presensitization of Nocardia asteroides with specific antibody on the viability of the organism.
abstract: Nocardia asteroides from various growth phases was treated in vitro with normal rabbit sera, immune rabbit sera containing nocardial polyclonal antibodies and a monoclonal antibody. At intervals, samples were grown in broth or on blood agar plates to determine their viability. Log and stationary phase cells were injected intra-peritoneally into female BALB/c mice and their survival rates in the liver and spleen were determined. Presensitization with antibodies reduced the viability of the log phase cells by 48% and that of the late stationary phase by 4%. The antibody-treated log phase organisms were less viable on the blood agar medium and in the spleen and liver than the control organisms. This indicates that pretreatment with antibody has a lethal effect on N. asteroides and affects its survival in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Medical Laboratory Sciences Unit, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, P.M.B. 5080, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O U
authors.initials: OU
authors.lastname: Osoagbaka