Good effect of IgY against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in cystic fibrosis patients

Abstract

This is an extended open study of oral prophylactic treatment with egg yolk antibodies against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Anti-Pseudomonas IgY, of 17 Swedish patients with cystic fibrosis. They have been on prophylactic IgY treatment for up to 12 years and altogether for 114 patient years. A group of 23 Danish CF patients served as control. There has been a total absence of adverse events. Only 29 cultures have been positive for P. aeruginosa (cultures after chronic colonization not included), that is, 2.3/100 treatment months compared to 7.0/100 months in the control group (P = 0.028). In the IgY treated group only one pair of siblings (2/17) has been chronically colonized with P. aeruginosa compared to seven patients (7/23) in the control group. Atypical mycobacteria, S. maltophilia, A. xylosoxidans, and A. fumigatus have appeared only sporadically. There have been no cultures positive for B. cepacia. There was no decrease in pulmonary functions (P = 0.730) within the IgY group. Body mass index values were normal or close to normal for all IgY treated patients. In conclusion, Anti-Pseudomonas IgY has great potential to prevent P. aeruginosa infections.

Anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosaIgY antibodies promote bacterial opsonization and augment the phagocytic activity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils

“…35,36 Accordingly, oral prophylaxis with anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa IgY antibodies may assist antibiotics in reducing colonization of P. aeruginosa in the oropharynx. 17 The potential IgY-mediated effect on PMN action is the focus of the present in vitro studies. An effective host response in the lungs allows rapid clearance of the microorganism from the airways.…”

“…16 Egg yolk antibodies (IgY) targeting P. aeruginosa are proposed as such a complement because prophylactic oral treatment (gargling) with anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa IgY antibodies reduces chronic colonization with P. aeruginosa in CF. 17 IgY antibodies originate from egg yolk and represent the avian homolog of mammalian IgG. 18 IgY is the predominant serum immunoglobulin in chickens (Gallus domesticus) and is generated to provide their offspring with an effective humoral immunity during maturation of the immune system.…”

Anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa IgY Antibodies Induce Specific Bacterial Aggregation and Internalization in Human Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils

“…Egg yolk immunoglobulins (IgY) have been used successfully to eradicate infectious diseases in animals (24), and prophylaxis with egg yolk immunoglobulins (IgY) targeting P. aeruginosa reduces colonization in CF patients (25). The encouraging results from clinical studies on the efficacy of IgY immunotherapy to prevent gastrointestinal infections (26) and animal models showing a favorable impact of IgY therapy on influenza virus infection (27,28) suggest the potential benefit of anti-P. aeruginosa IgY prophylaxis in non-chronically infected CF patients.…”

IgYs as an Alternative Approach to Antibiotics

“…In vitro studies on human intestinal epithelial cell culture Caco-2, show that S. enteritidis incubated previously with specific IgYs, lose their adherence to human cells which inhibits the bacterial infection [49]. Nilsson et al made a 12 year study on prophylactic oral IgY treatment against Pseudomonas aeruginosa on 17 patients and reported in most cases prevention of its colonization, which indicates the high potential of IgYs as a preventive therapy against respiratory infections caused by this bacteria [50]. Therapeutic strategies based on IgYs generated against bacterial enzymes/toxins also bring promising results.…”