Method Of Passive Immunization Of Mammals Using Avian
And/Or Bovid Antibody And Compositions For Same

The present invention provides a method of administering a heterologous low antigenic protein formulation to a subject under conditions which avoid scrum sickness or anaphylactic shock. It also provides a method of administering a heterologous, low antigenic IgG formulation obtained from the sera and/or food products of an immunized domesticated fowl to a subject under conditions which avoid serum sickness or anaphylactic shock.

The invention thus comprises a method of heterologous passive immunization of a mammal against a condition caused by an antigen which comprises: administering to said mammal an immunologically effective amount of an antibody obtained from a domesticated fowl which has been immunized against said antigen; said mammal being tolerant to said antibody by virtue of having a history of consuming material derived from the egg of said fowl, as a food source.

The present invention is a further development over the invention disclosed and claimed in application Ser. No. 577,804, filed Feb. 4, 1984 at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Beck and Stolle, for "Heterologous Protein Antibody Formulation for Passive Immunization." The entire disclosure of said application is herein incorporated by reference.

In Ser. No. 577,804, is claimed a method of passive immunization of a mammal which comprises parenterally injecting a purified heterologous antibody obtained from the milk of a bovid, which bovid has been immunized against an antigenic substance, and wherein the mammal has a history of consumption of milk from such domesticated bovid. In the same application is also disclosed a method of passive immunization of a mammal which comprises parenterally injecting a purified heterologous antibody obtained from the eggs of a domesticated fowl, which species has been immunized against an antigenic substance, and wherein the mammal has a history of consumption of eggs from such domesticated fowl.

The present invention expands on the concepts disclosed in Ser. No. 577,804 in that administration of the egg antibody can be by any appropriate route, not only parenteral.

In a further embodiment, the present invention also comprises a method of heterologous passive immunization of a mammal against a condition caused by an antigen which comprises:

(a) feeding said mammal a material having an enhanced antibody titer against said antigen obtained from the egg of a domesticated fowl immunized against said antigen, until said mammal develops substantial tolerance to said antibodies; and

(b) administering to said mammal an immunologically effective amount of an antibody obtained from a domesticated fowl immunized against said antigen.

Thus, in this embodiment, prior to the administration to the mammal of antibodies obtained from a domesticated fowl, the mammal is fed a material derived from eggs of a fowl immunized against the antigen.

The present invention also relates to various methods of administration, various conditions, as well as various compositions of matter useful therein.

For example, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to a composition comprising:

(a) a material having an enhanced antibody titer against a given mammalian antigen, obtained from the egg of a domesticated fowl immunized against said antigen; together with

(b) a material having an enhanced antibody titer against said antigen obtained from the milk of a domesticated bovid immunized against said antigen.

In another aspect of the invention, there is also provided a composition comprising:

(a) antibody purified from the egg of a domesticated fowl immunized against a given mammalian antigen together with

(b) antibody purified from the milk of a bovid immunized against said antigen.

The invention also comprises a composition comprising:

(a) a parenteral carrier and

(b) an antibody purified from the egg of a domestic fowl which has been immunized against an antigen, said antibody not resulting in serum sickness or anaphylactic shock in the subject administered the antibody.