Abstract
A human IgG preparation was given intravenously to 36 newborn infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit because of suspected septicaemia. IgG was given as a single dose of 0.4 g/kg body weight. Patients serum was obtained immediately before and 30 min after terminating the infusion. Blood was also withdrawn 2 days after giving the IgG in eight of the infants. The sera were tested by radioimmunoassay for IgG antibody levels to surface antigens of group B streptococci (GBS) types Ia, Ib, II and III and to R-protein. The mean increases in anti-type Ia, Ib, II, III and R-protein antibodies 30 min after the end of infusion were 81%, 73%, 49%, 60% and 69% of the preinfusion levels, respectively. This was followed by a rapid decrease during the following 2 days to 25%–32% of the initial increases. Based on the above findings, a controlled trial of passive immunisation in the management of neonatal GBS septicaemia seems justified. The rapid decline in antibody levels would necessitate a second infusion 24 h after the initial immunoglobulin administration if the suspicion of septicaemia persists.
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Abbreviations
- GBS:
-
group B streptococci
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Supported by grants from “Allmänna BB Minnesfond”, the Expressen Prenatal Research Foundation, the Hartmann-Müller-Stiftung, the Herzog-Egli-Stiftung, the Swedish Medical Research Council (grant no. B83-16X-06559-01), and the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant no. 3.884-0.81)
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Christensen, K.K., Christensen, P., Bucher, H.U. et al. Intravenous administration of human IgG to newborn infants: changes in serum antibody levels to group B streptococci. Eur J Pediatr 143, 123–127 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00445799
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00445799