Efficacy of immune therapy in early experimental Naegleria fowleri meningitis.

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.

Duke Scholars

Author Dena L. Toffaletti Medicine, Infectious Diseases

Author John Robert Perfect Medicine, Infectious Diseases