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Evaluation of Host-Pathogen Responses and Vaccine Efficacy in Mice
Published on: February 22, 2019
CERTAIN ASPECTS OF MOUSE PROTECTION TESTS FOR ANTIBODY IN PNEUMOCOCCUS PNEUMONIA
1Medical Laboratory and Services of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
Abstract:
1. Though in general in pneumococcus pneumonia the appearance of protective substance coincides rather sharply with the fall in the temperature, antibody may appear spontaneously in the blood serum as early as the 3rd or 4th day and crisis and recovery may be delayed until the 6th to the 10th day. 2. Recovery at times occurs without demonstrable protective substance in the blood in patients who later develop protection. 3. The amount of antibody developed in the course of pneumococcus pneumonia is small and in the majority of cases tested was insufficient to protect against more than 100 lethal doses of homologous pneurnococci and never against more than 10,000 lethal doses. 4. Treatment with Felton's antibody late in the course of the disease materially increases the amount of protective substances in the blood. A high degree of protection may be established by treatment in fatal cases. After the 3rd day doses of more than 200,000 Felton units are usually necessary to produce a greater degree of protection than might otherwise be expected. 5. The formation of protective substances by the patient himself is not an assurance against progress of the infection to a fatal termination. 6. Protective substance in the blood and pneumococcic septicemia may occur simultaneously.
Insights
Pneumococcus pneumonia patients may develop protective antibodies later in the disease, but recovery is not guaranteed. Treatment with Felton's antibody can significantly increase protection, even in severe cases.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Pneumococcus pneumonia is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality.
- The role of protective antibodies in recovery from pneumococcus pneumonia is not fully understood.
- Spontaneous antibody formation can occur, but its timing and efficacy vary.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between antibody appearance and clinical recovery in pneumococcus pneumonia.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of Felton's antibody treatment in enhancing protective immunity.
- To determine the protective capacity of naturally occurring and therapeutically induced antibodies.
Main Methods:
- Observation of antibody levels and clinical course in patients with pneumococcus pneumonia.
- Administration of Felton's antibody to patients at different stages of the disease.
- Quantification of protective antibody levels and their correlation with outcomes.
Main Results:
- Protective antibodies may appear before clinical crisis, but recovery can be delayed.
- Some patients recover without detectable antibodies, while others develop them later.
- Naturally produced antibodies are often insufficient to neutralize lethal doses of pneumococci.
- Felton's antibody treatment significantly boosts protective substance levels, improving outcomes, especially when administered after day 3.
- High doses (over 200,000 units) are often required for substantial protection.
Conclusions:
- Spontaneous antibody production does not always prevent fatal outcomes in pneumococcus pneumonia.
- Therapeutic antibody administration is a viable strategy to enhance protection and improve prognosis.
- The amount and timing of antibody presence are critical factors in managing pneumococcus pneumonia.
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