Humoral immune response to some benzylpenicillin preparations.

In this study the humoral immune responses to long-term administration of benzylpenicillin preparations with and without adjuvants were compared. In 44.4% of the patients on long-term treatment with a benzylpenicillin preparation containing oil and alum monostearate, an induction of benzylpenicilloyl (BPO)-specific IgG, IgM and IgE was demonstrated during and after the course. Patients treated with a benzylpenicillin preparation containing no oil and alum monostearate showed only a very weak BPO-specific IgM and IgG response during the course. In patients in whom long-term treatment with a benzylpenicillin preparation without adjuvants was initiated by a benzylpenicillin preparation containing oil and alum monostearate, not only BPO-specific IgM and/or IgG but also IgE were demonstrated in 13.0%. The differences in immune response in the various long-term courses were significant (P less than 0.05). The data suggest that the presence of such adjuvants as oil and alum monostearate has an influence on the synthesis of BPO-specific antibodies. However, it can not be excluded that the difference in immunogenicity had some unknown connection with the differences in penicillin/blood levels.