Experimental imutiol stimulation of the primary immunological response to tetanus anatoxin]

The data on the influence of imuthiol on humoral and cell-mediated immunity developing after immunization against tetanus are presented. Experiments were made on 166 guinea pigs with the use of imuthiol in doses of 25 and 125 mg/kg and tetanus toxoid in doses of 1.5 and 6.0 BU/kg. The dynamic observation of the animals lasted 30 days. The data of the passive hemagglutination test and the neutralization test indicated that imuthiol had considerable influence on the formation of humoral immunity. The results of skin reactions with tetanin, in vitro cell reactions, as well as resistance tests, showed that imuthiol exerted influence on delayed hypersensitivity, the mechanisms of cell-mediated resistance and survival after challenge. The data on the influence of imuthiol could be registered even at early stages after immunization, the immunostimulating action of the preparation reaching its maximum with tetanus toxoid used in a dose of 6.0 BU/kg and imuthiol, in a dose of 125 mg/kg.     

Competitive relations between tetanus anatoxin and toxin]

Experiments were conducted on albino mice; it was shown that preliminary injection of tetanus toxoid enhanced the animal resistance to tetanus toxin, this being expressed in increase in LD50. The effect increased the higher doses of the toxoid and their fractional injection. By using protagon and crude mitochondrial fraction isolated from the brain as a receptor of tetanus toxin in the nervous tissue there were established competitive relations for the receptor between the tetanus toxoid and the toxin. The results of investigations confirmed the authors' earlier statement that the molecule of the tetanus toxin contained different functional groups responsible for the toxin binding with the receptor in the nervous tissue, for the pathogenic action of the toxin and for the binding of the toxin with antitoxin.     

Effectiveness of immunizing donors with adsorbed tetanus anatoxin in relation to their genetic markers

Blood groups, including rhesus grouping, have been determined in 218 donors and HLA of loci A, B, C in 121 donors immunized with adsorbed tetanus toxoid (40 binding units). The presence of HLA Aw 32, B 8; HLA Bw 16, haplotypes A3 Bw 16 and A1, blank antigens of locus C is linked with the production of, respectively, high or low (less than or equal to 16 I.U./ml) antibody titers. The effectiveness of immunization is influenced by agglutinogen B, which is confirmed by its associations (in a complex with HLA Bw 16 or Bw 35) with low immune response.     

Immunomorphologic aspects of local (wound) revaccination with tetanus anatoxin

The immunomorphological reaction of regional lymphoid organs, the pathomorphology of wound tissues, humoral antitoxic response and a protective effect after local (wound) booster immunization with tetanus toxoid have been studied in observations on 100 guinea pigs with experimental wound infection. The study has shown that the local application of tetanus toxoid, besides stimulating humoral response, induces a more rapid effect aimed at the primary elements of the infectious process (the germination of spores, the adhesion, colonization and toxin formation of the causative agent), thus facilitating the localization of the focus of infection, the development of reparative processes in the wound and the arresting of the infection.