Abstract
Among inadequately immunized laboratory animals dying of rabies, a small but consistent proportion succumb after an incubation period shorter than that of any of the unvaccinated controls1–3,7 and this phenomenon has been termed ‘early death’. It has also been shown that, after immunosuppression either with cyclophosphamide or by thymectomy and irradiation4, rabies-infected animals survive longer with decreased incidence of paralysis. It appears that ‘early death’ also occurs in humans who have been treated (unsuccessfully) with vaccine, with or without accompanying serum therapy5–7, after exposure to rabies. Collectively, these studies suggest that there is a immunopathological component in rabies virus infection. We have therefore investigated a model of lethal rabies infection in immunosuppressed mice and have concluded that B lymphocytes or antibody specific for rabies play a part in the causation of early death. Accordingly the immune response to rabies has a dual role8, sometimes favouring survival but sometimes enhancing the disease.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Sikes, R. K., Cleary, W. F., Koprowski, H., Wiktor, T. J. & Kaplan, M. M. Bull Wld Hlth Org. 45, 1–11 (1971).
Baer, G. M. & Cleary, W. F. J. infect. Dis. 125, 520–527 (1972).
Veeraraghavan, J. Ann. Rep. of the Director (The Pasteur Institute of Southern India, Conoor, 1971).
Tignor, G. H., Shope, R. E., Gershon, R. K. & Laksman, B. H. J. Immun. 112, 260–265 (1974).
Anonymous 1969–1975 Vigililancia Epidemiologica 8, No. 9 (Officine Sanitaria Pamericane, 1976).
Kyavchenko, A. T., Karerkuyumchan, M. K. & Wsenko, A. L. Zh. Mikrobiol. Épidem. Immunobiol. 12, 44–51 (1974).
Held, J. R., Tierkel, E. S. & Steele, J. H. Publ. Hlth Rep. 82, 1009–1018 (1967).
Nathanson, N., Johnson, E. D., Camenga, D. L. & Cole, G. A. in 4th int. Convoc. Immun. (eds Neter, E. & Milgrom, F.) 76–94 (S. Karger, Basel, 1974).
Koprowski, H., Black, J. & Nelson, D. J. J. Immun. 72, 94–106 (1954).
Fischman, H. R. & Strandberg, J. D. J. Am. vet. med. Assoc. 163, 1050–1055 (1973).
Prabhakar, B. S., Nathanson, N. & Wiktor, T. J. Fedn Proc. 39, 355 (1980).
Julius, J. H., Simpson, E. & Harzenberg, L. A. Eur. J. Immun. 3, 645–649 (1973).
Miller, A., Morse, H. C. III, Winkelstein, J. & Nathanson, N. J. Immun. 121, 321–326 (1978).
Kaplan, M. M., Wiktor, T. J. & Koprowski, H. J. Immun. 114, 1761–1765 (1975).
Turner, G. S. J. gen. Viroi 33, 535–538 (1976).
Wiktor, T. J. & Clark, H. F. Infec. Immunity 6, 988–995 (1972).
Blancou, J., Andral, B. & Andral, L. J. gen. Virol. 50, 433–435 (1980).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Prabhakar, B., Nathanson, N. Acute rabies death mediated by antibody. Nature 290, 590–591 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/290590a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/290590a0
This article is cited by
-
Vaccine-Associated Enhanced Viral Disease: Implications for Viral Vaccine Development
BioDrugs (2021)
-
Superantigen related to rabies
Springer Seminars in Immunopathology (1996)
-
Neutralizing-enhancing monoclonal antibody recognizes the denatured glycoprotein of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus
Archives of Virology (1992)
-
Protective role of antigenic sites on the envelope protein of Hantaan virus defined by monoclonal antibodies
Archives of Virology (1992)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.