Análise da resposta imune humoral de ovinos imunizados com peçonha de Crotalus spp. (Bahia/Brasil) na produção de soro anticrotálico monovalente

Abstract

Snakebite envenoming is considered a public health problem in the world and a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization due to the impacts on the population and health systems. This present study aimed to obtain hyperimmune serum anti-crotalic produced in sheep and to evaluate the humoral immune response, throughout the immunization schedule. In addition, the efficacy of this serotherapy in neutralizing the lethality activity of Crotalus spp., in mice was analyzed. The immunization of sheep occurred according to the schedule of the Standard Operational Protocol of the Vital Brazil Institute for the production of anticrotalic serum, also observing the occurrence of local changes and clinical signs in these animals. Serum IgG levels were quantified and evaluated for the recognition specificity of the various venom constituents before, during and after the end of the hyperimmunization process to evaluate their production kinetics. The protocol used, the seroproducer animal choicen and doses utilized were effective in obtaining a strong immune response with high antibodies levels and high specificity against the venom of Crotalus spp., inhibiting 100% lethality activity by preincubation with venom. Thus, the present study demonstrated that the production of anticrotalic antivenom using regionalized raw material is needed to neutralize the main components of this venom, mitigating the occurrence of permanent sequel and deaths by the rattlesnakes bite on the State of Bahia.