Characterization of anti-crotalic antibodies.

Crotalus durissus terrificus, C. d. collilineatus, C. d. cascavella and C. d. marajoensis are responsible minor but severe snake bites in Brazil. The venoms of these snakes share the presence of crotoxin, a neurotoxin comprising of two associated components, crotapotin and phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Treatment of the victims with specific antiserum is the unique effective therapeutic measure. The ability of anti-Crotalus antisera produced by the routine using crude venom to immunize horses or purified crotoxin and PLA2 as individual immunogens was compared. Antisera obtained from horses immunized with C. durissus terrificus crude venom were able to recognize and neutralize not only the toxins presents in C. durissus terrificus, but also the ones present in the venoms from C. d. collilineatus, C. d. cascavella and C. d. marajoensis. Antisera from horses immunized with individual crotoxin or PLA2, although in lesser titers, were also able of recognizing the toxins in all four Crotalus species and neutralize the lethality of the C. d. terrificus venom.