EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT IMMUNIZING SCHEDULES FOR BOTHROPIC ANTIVENOM PRODUCTION

FLAVIANO A. R. , RODRIGUES R.J. , FREITAS C.F. , BARBOSA C.F. , MARIA W.S.

EZEQUIEL DIAS FOUNDATION  

The antivenom efficacy resides in providing high titre of specific antibodies. Those antivenoms are prepared using horses gradually immunized with specific whole venoms.  The immunization protocol depends on the toxicity and the immunogenicity of the venom, the animal model used and the antigen presentation. The optimum protocol or dose for immunization is generally obtained by trial and error to obtain a sufficient antibody titre. This paper reports the comparative study of the several different immunization schedules and different intervals between cycles using Bothrops venoms. The four different groups contain seven animal per group which were submitted to immunizing schedules protocols:  G1 was applied with 6 mg of venom, G2 12 mg,  G3 18 mg and G4 45 mg.  Each cycle spend two or three weeks for immunization and one for bleeding. Therefore, another protocol, were used to evaluated intervals between cycles of immunization composed by 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days. The results demonstrated that antivenom obtained from animals of the G2 (12 mg) was more effective in neutralizing the lethal effects of Bothrops venom. This study indicated that intervals between  cycles of the 90 and 120 days produced high and similar levels of antibodies.

KEY WORDS: immunizing schedules, bothropic antivenom

CORRESPONDENCE TO: WANY SELENA MARIA - Serviço de Desenvolvimento Biotecnológico, Divisão de Produção de Imunobiológicos, Diretoria Industrial, Fundação Ezequiel Dias - Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro, 80  Gameleira  CEP 30510 010 Belo  Horizonte, Minas Gerais  Brasil Fone: 31 3371 9525. e-mail: selena@funed.mg.gov.br