Protection by Milk Immunoglobulin Concentrate against Oral Challenge with EnterotoxigenicEscherichia coli

Abstract

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is a common cause of traveler's diarrhea. Prophylaxis against traveler's diarrhea has been associated with side effects from bismuth subsalicylate and the development of resistance to antimicrobial agents. We undertook a double-blind controlled trial in which a bovine milk immunoglobulin concentrate with high titers of antibodies against enterotoxigenic E. coli was used as prophylaxis against E. coli challenge in volunteers. Lyophilized milk immunoglobulins were prepared from the colostrum of cows immunized with several enterotoxigenic E. coli serotypes and fimbria types, E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin, and cholera toxin. As a control, an immunoglobulin concentrate with no anti-E. coli activity was prepared. Ten volunteers received buffered immunoglobulin concentrate against enterotoxigenic E. coli, and 10 received the control immunoglobulin concentrate, dissolved in water, three times a day. No side effects were observed. On the third day of immunoglobulin prophylaxis, the volunteers were given 10(9) colony-forming units of enterotoxigenic E. coli H10407 (O78:H11). This strain produces colonization factor antigen I and heat-labile and heat-stable enterotoxins. None of the 10 volunteers receiving the immunoglobulin concentrate against E. coli had diarrhea, but 9 of the 10 controls did (P less than 0.0001). All volunteers excreted E. coli H10407. We conclude from these preliminary results that milk immunoglobulin concentrate may be an effective prophylaxis against traveler's diarrhea.

Subtractive hybridization and optical mapping of the enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli H10407 chromosome: isolation of unique sequences and demonstration of significant similarity to the chromosome of E. coli K-12

“…There are different serotypes of ETEC strains producing a variety of CFs (Wolf, 1997). ETEC strain H10407 (O78 : H11 : CFA/I : LT + : STIb + ), a clinical isolate from a patient in Bangladesh (Evans & Evans, 1973), is a prototypic virulent strain, which has been tested in oral challenge studies and shown to cause diarrhoea in humans (Tacket et al, 1988)). Like most ETEC, strain H10407 carries plasmids and these encode most of the virulence determinants described so far such as CFs, LT and ST (Evans et al, 1975;Smith et al, 1979;Yamamoto & Yokota, 1983).…”

Use of Immunoglobulin Enriched Bovine Colostrum against Oral Challenge with Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Mice

“…The second generation was colostrum from cows immunized with various food-borne pathogens or its immunoglobulin concentrate. Clinical trials revealed that immune cow colostrum effectively prevents infection with enterotoxigenic E. coli (O78:H11), rotavirus (2,12), and Cryptosporidium parvum (17). The third generation is colostrum derived from healthy non-immunized pasture fed cows.…”

Fungal prophylaxis by reduction of fungal colonization by oral administration of bovine anti-Candida antibodies in bone marrow transplant recipients

“…34 When bovine antibodies are used for prophylaxis, similar or lower doses as compared to human antibodies would be expected to be effective provided that the cows are specifically immunized. In challenge studies performed by Tacket and coworkers, 35 complete protection against E. coli challenge in adult volunteers was seen using a daily oral administration of 5 g of bovine immunoglobulin from hyperimmunized animals. In a piglet model of human rotavirus infection, 0.6-1 g per day also sufficed to afford protection.…”