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. 1987 May;55(5):1289–1293. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.5.1289-1293.1987

Efficacy of immune therapy in early experimental Naegleria fowleri meningitis.

G J Lallinger, S L Reiner, D W Cooke, D L Toffaletti, J R Perfect, D L Granger, D T Durack
PMCID: PMC260503  PMID: 3570464

Abstract

Naegleria fowleri meningoencephalitis is usually fatal in humans despite treatment. As a new approach, we tested intracisternal passive immune therapy in rabbits with amebic meningoencephalitis by using antinaegleria immune serum, an immunoglobulin G fraction, and a newly developed monoclonal antibody to N. fowleri. Both the immune serum and an immunoglobulin G fraction isolated from it by affinity chromatography provided a consistent, although temporary, protective effect, shown by prolongation of survival (P = 0.001). Multiple doses of immune serum further prolonged survival (P = 0.005). The protective effect of serum was retained after heating to 56 degrees C. We then developed a monoclonal antibody to N. fowleri which provided similar protection. Passive intracisternal antibody therapy might serve as an adjunctive component in the treatment of amebic meningoencephalitis.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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