Passive transfer of immunity in human Schistosomiasis mansoni: Attempt to prevent infection by repeated injections of hyperimmune antischistosome gamma globulin

Abstract

50 young children (mean age 2·08 years) from an area on the island of St. Lucia highly endemic for schistosomiasis mansoni, who were considered to be uninfected on the basis of repeated stool examinations, were divided randomly into 2 equal groups. At 3-month intervals over the period of a year, the two groups were given either hyperimmune antischistosome gamma globulin (SGG) prepared from adults with proved S. mansoni infections, or control gamma globulin (CGG) prepared in a nonendemic area, to a total dose of 108 mg./kg. At the end of the year the children were admitted to hospital for repeated stool examinations which revealed a 40% incidence of S. mansoni infection in each group. The mean egg output in the SGG-treated group—25·2 ± 11·3 (standard error) eggs/ml. faeces—was not significantly different from that of the CGG-treated group—50·7 ± 23·7 eggs/ml.