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Analysis of camelid antibodies for antivenom development: Neutralisation of venom-induced pathology.

Cook, Darren, Owen, Timothy, Wagstaff, Simon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0577-5537, Kinne, Joerg, Wernery, Ulrich and Harrison, Robert (2010) 'Analysis of camelid antibodies for antivenom development: Neutralisation of venom-induced pathology.'. Toxicon, Vol 56, Issue 3, pp. 373-80.

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Abstract

Camelid IgG has been reported to be less immunogenic, less able to activate the complement cascade and more thermostable than IgG from other mammals, and has the ability to bind antigens that are unreactive with other mammalian IgGs. We are investigating whether these attributes of camelid IgG translate into antivenom with immunological and venom-neutralising efficacy advantages over conventional equine and ovine antivenoms. The objective of this study was to determine the preclinical venom-neutralising effectiveness of IgG from camels immunised with venoms, individually or in combination, of the saw-scaled viper, Echis ocellatus, the puff adder, Bitis arietans and the spitting cobra, Naja nigricollis - the most medically-important snake species in West Africa. Neutralisation of the pathological effects of venoms from E. ocellatus, B. arietans and N. nigricollis by IgG from the venom-immunised camels, or commercial antivenom, was compared using assays of venom lethality (ED(50)), haemorrhage (MHD) and coagulopathy (MCD). The E. ocellatus venom ED(50), MHD and MCD results of the E. ocellatus monospecific camel IgG antivenom were broadly equivalent to comparable ovine (EchiTAbG, MicroPharm Ltd, Wales) and equine (SAIMR Echis, South African Vaccine Producer, South Africa) antivenoms, although the equine antivenom required half the amount of IgG. The B. arietans monospecific camel IgG neutralised the lethal effects of B. arietans venom at one fourth the concentration of the SAIMR polyspecific antivenom (a monospecific B. arietans antivenom is not available). The N. nigricollis camel IgG antivenom was ineffective (at the maximum permitted dose, 100 mul) against the lethal effects of N. nigricollis venom. All the equine polyspecific antivenoms required more than 100 microl to be effective against this venom. The polyspecific camel IgG antivenom, prepared from five camels, was effective against the venom-induced effects of E. ocellatus but not against that of B. arietans and N. nigricollis venoms. No direct correlation was evident between either camel IgG relative avidity or titre and the effectiveness of venom neutralisation in preclinical assays.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Snake antivenom; Venom; Camelid IgG; Heavy chain IgG; Echis ocellatus
Subjects: QW Microbiology and Immunology > Immunotherapy and Hypersensitivity > QW 805 Vaccines. Antitoxins. Toxoids
WD Disorders of Systemic, Metabolic or Environmental Origin, etc > Animal Poisons > WD 410 Reptiles
Digital Object Identifer (DOI): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2010.04.005
Depositing User: Mary Creegan
Date Deposited: 29 Oct 2010 09:53
Last Modified: 24 Jan 2022 15:41
URI: https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/1639

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