Concentration of intravenously administered gammaglobulin preparations in dog skin

Abstract

Chemical modification of standard gammaglobulin with enzyme treatment (pepsin) or stabilization (beta-propiolactone) is able to influence elimination, fragmentation and organ distribution of intravenously administered gammaglobulins as shown in 36 dogs after i.v. application of allogenic and xenogenic gammaglobulin preparations. Pepsin-gammaglobulin was eliminated and fragmented most rapidly. Gammaglobulin concentrations of all preparations in the skin showed as slower decrease than comparable blood concentrations. The highest skin concentrations 10 days after i.v. application were found for beta-propiolactone gammaglobulin with 6.2 +/- 1.6 microgram/g compared to a blood level of 7.9 +/- 0.9 microgram/ml.

Complement and immunoglobulin deposits in the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis

“…On the other hand, deposition of immunoglobulin and complement may simply reflect circulating plasma concentrations of the various proteins diffusing passively into the extravascular compartment and binding to receptors present in the skin, as happens for example, when massive doses of allogeneic IgG are injected intravenously in dogs (Ring et al, 1978). However, the absence of gross abnormaHdes in serum levels of IgG, IgM and IgA among our patients, even those with Ig deposits, leads us to suspect that such mechanisms do not primarily produce the changes observed.…”