Another piece in the hypermutation puzzle Studies with transgenic mice are beginning to define the minimal requirements for the somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin genes that is critical in the production of high-affinity antibodies. One of the hallmarks of an advanced vertebrate immune system is the ability of the body to remember an invading organism, and to educate itself to respond more...

Repeated administration of an intravenous immunoglobulin containing antibody to hepatitis B e antigen (anti-HBe) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) but free of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) before and after the inoculation of 10(4.9) 50% chimpanzee infective doses of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markedly prolonged the incubation period of HBV in experimentally i...

Haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN) is a condition in which the lifespan of an infant’s red blood cells (RBCs) is shortened by the action of specific maternal immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody. Rhesus (Rh)D haemolytic disease of the newborn is a prototype of maternal isoimmunization and foetal haemolytic disease. Although rare, the other blood group antigens capable of causing all...

GamaSTAN S/D (Grifols Therapeutics, Inc., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina) is a sterile, preservative-free solution of immune globulin (IG) for intramuscular administration and is used for prophylaxis against disease caused by infection with hepatitis A, measles, varicella, and rubella viruses (1). GamaSTAN S/D is the only IG product approved by the Food and Drug Administration for hepat...

Myasthenic crisis is a life-threatening condition. At times it manifests as the initial presentation of underlying myasthenia gravis. Rapidly acting therapies for treatment this condition are plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin. We report case myasthenic in young female, presenting with respiratory failure bulbar symptoms. She had significantly raised titres anti-acetylcholine recept...