The first antitoxin, to diphtheria, was discovered in 1890 by Emil von Behring and Shibasaburo Kitasato, for which Behring received the 1901 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. Today, antitoxins are used in the treatment of botulism, diphtheria, dysentery, gas gangrene, and tetanus. If the toxin is a venom, the antitoxin formed, or the antiserum containing it, is called an antivenin.

General information about ANTITOXIN

 An antitoxin is an antibody with the ability to neutralize a specific toxin. Antitoxins are produced by certain animals, plants, and bacteria. Although they are most effective in neutralizing toxins, they can kill bacteria and other microorganisms. Antitoxins are made within organisms, but can be injected into other organisms, including humans.

Antitoxin, antibody, formed in the body by the introduction of a bacterial poison, or toxin, and capable of neutralizing the toxin. People who have recovered from bacterial illnesses often develop specific antitoxins that confer immunity against recurrence.

For medical use in treating human infectious diseases, antitoxins are produced by injecting an animal with toxin; the animal, most commonly a horse, is given repeated small doses of toxin until a high concentration of the antitoxin builds up in the blood. The resulting highly concentrated preparation of antitoxins is called an antiserum.

This procedure involves injecting an animal with a safe amount of a toxin. Then, the animal’s body makes the antitoxin needed to neutralize the toxin. Later, the blood is withdrawn from the animal. When the antitoxins obtained from the blood, it is purified and injected into a human or other animal, inducing passive immunity. To prevent serum sickness, it is often best to use antitoxin generated from the same species. (e.g. use human antitoxin to treat humans).

Antitoxins to diphtheria and tetanus toxins were produced by Emil Adolf von Behring and his colleagues from 1890onwards. The use of diphtheria antitoxin for the treatment of diphtheria was regarded by the Lancet as the "most important advance of the [19th] Century in the medical treatment of acute infectious disease".

• Type of Antitoxin

• Antitoxin Particular kind of ANTIBODY produced in the body in response to the presence of a toxin.

• Botulism antitoxin An equine antitoxin against the toxins produced by the types A and B and/ or E strains of Clostridium botulinum; administered intravenously in the postexposure prophylaxis and treatment of botulism, other than infant botulism. Generally trivalent (ABE)antitoxin is used.

• Diphtheria antitoxin Equine antitoxin from horses immunized against diphtheria toxin or the toxoid; administered intramuscularly or intravenously in the treatment of suspected cases of diphtheria.

• Equine antitoxin An antitoxin derived from the blood of healthy horses immunized against a specific bacterial toxin.

• Tetanus antitoxin Equine antitoxin from horses that have been immunized against tetanus toxin or toxoid; used for the passive prevention and treatment of tetanus. It is rarely used; tetanus immune globulin being preferred

.

• Gas gangrene antitoxin Serum containing antitoxic antibodies; prepared from the blood of healthy animals immunized against gas-producing organisms of the genus Clostridium.

• Tetanus antitoxin Preparation from the blood serum or plasma of healthy animals immunized against tetanus toxin. Used for prophylaxis after injury because of its immediate effect. Active immunization is preferred for long-term protection, particularly for many clostridial diseases such as tetanus.

• Preparation of anti-toxin

In continuation of previous work(1931, 1938, 1938, 1941) the writer has extended his studies on the preparation of the purified antitoxins, partly for the purpose of obtaining an increased effect of the antitoxin, partly to abolish the noxious by-effects due to superfluous protein content of the antitoxin.

The method described in the following for the preparation of purified antitoxins is based on experiences gathered by the writer in experiments on purification of various native products by means of adsorption- including purification of the antitoxin in diphtherial sera by their adsorption on aluminum hydroxide gel. The experiment showed that aluminum hydroxide gel adsorbs the serum protein as a whole, and that the adsorption thus does not involve any shifts in the ratio of antitoxin/protein.

A few diphtherial sera in which there had been bacterial growth - among others, of Bac. pyocyaneus - deviated in the way of their adsorption, the unspecific protein being adsorbed in preference to the antitoxin-carrying protein. Thus, the adsorption implied a certain purification of the antitoxin. Subsequent experiments were carried out with exposure of diphtherial sera to the action of bacterial proteinases and simultaneous proteolysis with pepsin, trypsin and papain prior to the adsorption.

The various enzymes had a more or less pronounced effect on the proteins in the diphtherial serum similar to that of the bacterial growth. The selective adsorption of unspecific proteins was obtained, implying thus a purification of the diphtherial antitoxin.

Adsorption of dilute diphtherial serum that had been exposed to the action of pepsin in acid fluid proved to give more promising results than adsorption after exposure to other proteolytic enzymes.

• Determination of Anti-toxin

Standard Anti-Toxin – 2 ml Std. Toxin (0.5unit/ml) (5 Lap/10 doses) + 1ml of serial dilution of test Antitoxin > Make up to 5ml with saline > Store in dark for 60 min > Inject 0.5ml s/c in 6 rats > Observe for 4 days.

Test Anti-Toxin – 2 ml Std. Toxin (0.5unit/ml) (5 Lap/10 doses) + 1ml of serial dilution of test Antitoxin > Make up to 5ml with saline > Store in dark for 60 min > Inject 0.5ml s/c in 6 rats > Observe for 4 days.

• Application of Anti-toxin

1. Antitoxin are used in the treatment of botulism.

2. Antitoxin are used in the treatment of diphtheria.

3. Antitoxin are used in the treatment of dysentery.

4. Antitoxin are used in the treatment of gas gangrene.

5. Antitoxin are used in the treatment of tetanus.

6. If the toxin is a venom,the antitoxin formed or the anti-serum containing its called anti-venin.

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