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Journal of Virology, December 2003, p. 12941-12949, Vol. 77, No. 24
0022-538X/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.77.24.12941-12949.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Antibody Prophylaxis and Therapy against West Nile Virus Infection in Wild-Type and Immunodeficient Mice

Michael J. Engle1 and Michael S. Diamond1,2,3*

Departments of Medicine,1 Pathology & Immunology,2 Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri3

Received 21 May 2003/ Accepted 5 September 2003

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne Flavivirus that causes encephalitis in a subset of susceptible humans. Current treatment for WNV infections is supportive, and no specific therapy or vaccine is available. In this study, we directly tested the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy of polyclonal antibodies against WNV. Passive administration of human gamma globulin or mouse serum prior to WNV infection protected congenic wild-type, B-cell-deficient (µMT), and T- and B-cell-deficient (RAG1) C57BL/6J mice. Notably, no increased mortality due to immune enhancement was observed. Although immune antibody completely prevented morbidity and mortality in wild-type mice, its effect was not durable in immunocompromised mice: many µMT and RAG1 mice eventually succumbed to infection. Thus, antibody by itself did not completely eliminate viral reservoirs in host tissues, consistent with an intact cellular immune response being required for viral clearance. In therapeutic postexposure studies, human gamma globulin partially protected against WNV-induced mortality. In µMT mice, therapy had to be initiated within 2 days of infection to gain a survival benefit, whereas in the wild-type mice, therapy even 5 days after infection reduced mortality. This time point is significant because between days 4 and 5, WNV was detected in the brains of infected mice. Thus, passive transfer of immune antibody improves clinical outcome even after WNV has disseminated into the central nervous system.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Ave., Box 8051, St. Louis, MO 63110. Phone: (314) 362-2842. Fax: (314) 362-9230. E-mail: diamond{at}borcim.wustl.edu.

Journal of Virology, December 2003, p. 12941-12949, Vol. 77, No. 24
0022-538X/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.77.24.12941-12949.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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