[Experience with gamma globulins per os in the therapy and prevention of infectious diarrhea]

The efficacy of oral gammaglobulin in the treatment of acute infectious diarrhea in immunocompetent children has been evaluated in an open placebo controlled trial. Moreover the efficacy of oral gammaglobulin has been tested also for treatment of chronic diarrhea in IgA deficient infants and for prevention of rotavirus infection during an epidemic in the ward. 54 infants (aged 1-36 months) with acute diarrhea (30 rotavirus +) were enrolled in the study. 24 out of 54 were assigned with randomised method to group a receiving gammaglobulin 150 mg/kg x 2 in the first day of admission to hospital and the remaining 30 infants were assigned to group b receiving placebo. Diarrhea cleared up in 2.57 +/- 1.4 days without a significant difference between group a and b (2.6 +/- 1.6 and 2.46 +/- 1.1 days respectively). The diarrhea's duration in Rotavirus+infants was 2.78 +/- 1.4 days in group a and 3 +/- 1.4 days in group b again without a significant difference. The excretion time of rotavirus in the stools was significantly shorter in rotavirus+group a (2.6 +/- 1.3) than in rotavirus group b (3.9 +/- 1.6) with p < 0.04. Three infants (4.9 months) with chronic post-infectious diarrhea and IgA deficiency (< 5 mg%ml) received gammaglobulin 300 mg/kg/die for 3 days. The diarrhea recovered in 2-3 days. Out of 16 infants hospitalized during an epidemic rotavirus diarrhea 6 infants received oral gammaglobulin at the dose of 150 mg/kg/die during the hospitalization period (that was at least 5 days). No one became ill.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)