Immunization against toxins

Human immunoglobulin preparations from pools of a great number of people (>1,000) with assumed antibodies against common viruses are used as a means of passive immunization in acute infections. More specific antibody preparations with high titers from patients who recovered recently from a viral disease or were immunized against toxins are also available in... 

Kentolysin Compared to Heliantholysin. Stoichactis helianthus occurs in the Caribbean region whereas another species, Stoichactis kenti is distributed in the Indo-Pacific area. The latter produces a toxin, kentolysin, that is similar to, but not identical with heliantholysin (6). The amino acid compositions of the two polypeptides show a distinct resemblance but appear to differ significantly in number of residues of lysine, methionine, tyrosine and histidine. IgG from a rabbit immunized against heliantholysin neutralizes both heliantholysin and kentolysin, but neutralization of the homologous toxin is more efficient (Table III). It can be seen that in the concentrations used, the IgG failed to neutralize the related lytic peptides of Condylactis gigantea and Epiactis prolifera. 

Polyclonal antibody preparations have been used for several decades to induce passive immunization against infectious diseases and other harmful agents, particularly toxins. The antibody preparations are usually administered by direct i.v. injection. While this affords immediate immunological protection, its effect is transitory, usually persisting for only 2-3 weeks (i.e. until the antibodies are excreted). Passive immunization can be used prophylactically (i.e. to prevent a future medical episode) or therapeutically (i.e. to treat a medical condition that is already established). An example of the former would be prior administration of a specific anti-snake toxin antibody preparation to an individual before they travel to a world region in which these snakes are commonly found. An example of the latter would be administration of the anti-venom antibody immediately after the individual has experienced a snake bite. 

Diphtheria causes a demyelinative neuropathy. Coryne-bacterium diphtheriae colonizes the pharynx or open wounds, and secretes a protein exotoxin. The B subunit of this exotoxin binds to plasma membranes and facilitates entry into cytosol of the A subunit, which catalyzes ADP-ribosylation, and inactivation of an elongation factor required for protein synthesis. Cardiac muscle and Schwann cells are particularly susceptible to this toxin, and hence patients with diphtheria develop cardiomyopathy and demyelinative polyneuropathy [20]. While diphtheria is now uncommon because of childhood immunization against C. diphtheriae, the disruption in preventative medicine programs caused by disintegration of the Soviet Union was followed by a substantial incidence of diphtheritic polyneuropathy in Russia. 

Tetanus immunoglobulin is an example of an antibody preparation used to induee passive immunization against a mierobial toxin. Tetanus (lockjaw) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium, Clostridium tetani. Bacterial spores can commonly contaminate surface wounds and the resulting bacterial cells produce a toxin as they multiply. The toxin interferes with normal neurological function, particularly at neuromuscular junctions. The result is spasmodic contraction of muscles and, if untreated, mortality rates are high. Treatment with antibiotics and anti-toxin, however, is highly effective if administered promptly. 

Diphtheria vaccine Diphtheria toxoid formed by treating diphtheria toxin with formaldehyde Active immunization against diphtheria... 

Tetanus vaccines Toxoid formed by formaldehyde treatment of toxin produced by Clostridium tetani Active immunization against tetanus... 

Triacelluvax (combination vaccine containing r(modilied) pertussis toxin Chiron SpA Immunization against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis... 

Experimental studies have shown that Leucinostatin A may be one of the several potentially toxic peptides produced by Acremonium sp. that contribute to the defense of the host. The host plant is relatively immune to Leucinostatin A, because it has an enzyme which transfers two glycosyl residues to leucinostatin A, thus reducing the peptide s bioactivity. From these results it can also be concluded that glucosylation reactions may play a general role in plant defenses, especially against toxin-mediated disease development [120]. 

Induction of active immunity against diphtheria and tetanus toxins and pcitassis from age 6 weeks up to the seventh biithdav... 

So far, BoNT/A has almost invariably been the toxin used (Jankovic and Hallett, 1994). In some cases, BoNT/A is not effective at the first attempt, but the reason of these failures have not been investigated. Since the symptoms of botulism are not evident and the disease may go unnoticed, there is the possibility that some dystonia patients may have been immunized against BoNT/A earlier in their life. The availability of other BoNT serotypes overcomes this problem. In addition to BoNT/B and F, already used experimentally in humans, BoNT/C could represents a valid alternative to BoNT/A. In fact, BoNT/C causes a paralysis that lasts as long as that caused by BoNT/A (Eleopra ef ai, submitted) and hence represents a new potent biomedical tool whose potential has yet to be fully explored. 

Dukoral (Vibrio cholerae and recombinant cholera toxin B subunit) SB L Vaccine active immunization against disease caused by V. cholerae subgroup 01 2004 (EU)... 

Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids indnce antibodies against toxins made by Corynebacterium diphtherias and Clostridium tetani. It is indicated for achievement of active immunity against diphtheria and tetanus. Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (Td) for adult use are the preferred agents for immunizing most adults and children after 7 years. 

Diphtheria toxin is composed of two protein subunits. The B subunit binds to a cell surface receptor, facilitating the entry of the A subunit into the cell. In the cell, the A subunit catalyzes a reaction in which the ADP-ribose (ADPR) portion of NAD is transferred to EF2 (ADP-ribosylation). In this reaction, the ADPR is covalently attached to a post-translationally modified histidine residue, known as diphthamide. ADP-ribosylation of EF2 inhibits protein synthesis, leading to cell death. Children, including Erna Nemdy s daughter, are usually immunized against this often fatal disease at an early age. 

Rapid and intense teaching programs helped prepare our medical healthcare providers, so that by the onset of Operation Desert Storm, they were as ready as any military medical personnel might be to go to war. Hundreds of thousands of troops were supplied with chemical pretreatment and therapeutic agents and thousands were immunized against anthrax and the botulinum toxins, the two most likely biological... 

Toxoid An exotoxin inactivated by chemical treatment but which retains its antigenicity and therefore can be used to immunize against the toxin. 

This is an acute, non-invasive infectious disease associated with the upper respiratory tract (Chapter 4). The incubation period is fiom 2 to 5 days although the disease remains communicable for up to 4 weeks. A low molecular weight toxin is produced which affects myocardium, nervous and adrenal tissues. Death results in 3-5% of infected children. Diphtheria immunization protects by stimulating the production of an antitoxin. This antitoxin will protect against the disease but not against infection of the respiratory... 

Fig. 8.10 Titers of antibodies at day 50 induced by plant-derived CTB-2L21 recombinant protein. Balb/c mice were intraperitoneally immunized with leaf extract from CTB-2L21 transgenic plants. Animals were boosted at days 21 and 35. Each mouse received 20 pg of CTB-2L21 recombinant protein. Individual samples of mouse serum were titrated against 2L21 synthetic peptide,VP2 protein and a control peptide (amino acids 122-135 of hepatitis B virus surface antigen). Titers were expressed as the highest serum dilution to yield twice the absorbance mean of preimmune sera. M1-M6 mice 1 to 6 2L21 epitope from the VP2 protein of the canine parvovirus CTB cholera toxin B VP2 protein of the canine parvovirus that includes the 2L21 epitope.

---