Protection in White Mice With Human Convalescent Serum Against Infection With Poliomyelitis Virus (Armstrong Strain) ∗ †

Abstract

Summary

This report is based on 19 completed experiments designed to reëvaluate the usefulness of human convalescent serum.

From these experiments it would appear that it is possible to protect a significant number of 3-week, 10 g mice against intracerebral inoculation of poliomyelitis virus (Armstrong strain) by the intraperitoneal administration of from 0.03 to 0.5 cc of potent human convalescent serum—protection being somewhat more evident in those mice receiving larger doses of serum. Evidence of protection is furthermore obtained when the serum is administered up to 24 but not 48 hours after intracerebral infection.

Under the experimental conditions there appears to be no evidence that convalescent serum had any therapeutic effect, even when this was administered continuously from 24 hours prior to infection to 9-15 days following infection. Animals that succumbed to the disease did so within the usual incubation period and died, as did the controls, from one to five days after the onset of paralysis.

No attempt is or can be made at this time to translate the results of these experiments in terms appropriate for human application. They are reported, however, because we believe they represent the first definite evidence of significant protection with human convalescent serum under the experimental conditions.