Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose:To determine if a commercially prepared solution of human immune globulin (IG) could attenuate the toxic effects normally produced by a pooled concentrate of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) exotoxins. Methods:We concentrated a culture supernatant growing S. aureus RN 4220 which produced alpha-hemolysin, beta-hemolysin, delta-hemolysin, and toxic shock syndrome toxin. We intravitreally injected 320 micrograms of concentrate into rabbit eyes to produce a significant inflammatory reaction. We then intravitreally injected IG in one of three manners: preincubated with concentrate, immediately after concentrate injection, or 6 hours after concentrate injection. We monitored the toxic effects by clinical and histological exams throughout a 9 day time course. Results:If IG is allowed to preincubate with the toxin concentrate, the toxic effect can be dramatically attenuated clinically and histologically. When IG is immediately injected following the concentrated toxin, the toxic effect is attenuated both clinically and histologically but less so than in preincubated eyes. When the injection of IG is delayed 6 hours, no histological attenuation and only minimal clinical attenuation is observed. Conclusion:These results demonstrate the ability of pooled human IG to effectively attenuate the toxic effects produced by S. aureus exotoxins. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the effectiveness of pooled IG is in part related to timing of this intervention. These results may have implications for therapies directed toward toxins normally produced in cases of bacterial endophthalmitis.
Keywords: 398 endophthalmitis • 328 bacterial disease • 316 animal model