Chicken Egg Yolk Antibodies (IgY) for Prophylaxis and Treatment of Rotavirus Diarrhea in Human and Animal Neonates: A Concise Review.

The rotavirus-induced diarrhea of human and animal neonates is a major public health concern worldwide. Until recently, no effective therapy is available to specifically inactivate the rotavirion particles within the gut. Passive immunotherapy by oral administration of chicken egg yolk antibody (IgY) has emerged of late as a fresh alternative strategy to control infectious diseases of the alimentary tract and has been applied in the treatment of diarrhea due to rotavirus infection.

Oral passive IgY-based immunotherapeutics: a novel solution for prevention and treatment of alimentary tract diseases.

This commentary summarizes the laboratory investigations and clinical trials published recently involving per-oral application of IgY supplemented food for specific orogastrointestinal disease prevention and control purposes. The prolonged use and misuse of conventional antibacterial drugs has spawned antibiotic resistant microbes prompting scientists to search for other germ-killing options. In particular, the use of IgY as a novel mode of immunotherapy using oral chicken immunoglobulin (IgY) to confer passive immunity has gained much interest as an inexpensive non-antibiotic alternative for the prophylaxis and treatment of a wide variety of infectious diseases.

Randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of immunoglobulin Y as adjunct to standard supportive therapy for rotavirus-associated diarrhea among pediatric patients.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of hyperimmune immunoglobulin Y (IgY) against human rotavirus (HRV) among pediatric patients receiving standard supportive treatment for rotavirus-associated diarrhea mostly with an enteric non-cholera co-pathogen in a hospital setting. Two natural HRV reassortant clinical strains ATCC VR 2273 and ATCC VR 2274 were used as mixed immunizing antigens in poultry hens to generate anti-HRV IgY (Rotamix IgY). The Rotamix IgY was used in laboratory and clinical studies against control or placebo IgY.

Anti-cell-associated glucosyltransferase immunoglobulin Y suppression of salivary mutans streptococci in healthy young adults.

Background: The authors evaluated the suppressive effects of lozenges containing egg yolk antibodies (that is, immunoglobulin Y [IgY]) against Streptococcus mutans cell-associated glucosyltransferase (CA-gtf) on oral colonization by mutans streptococci (MS) in healthy young adults.

Methods: In a five-day double-masked placebo-controlled trial, young adult participants self-administered lozenges containing anti-CA-gtf IgY (Ovalgen DC, GHEN, Gifu-City, Japan) or a placebo at prescribed times each day. On the basis of bacterial colony counts of saliva cultures, the authors analyzed the pretrial and posttrial differences in levels of MS and total anaerobic bacteria among participants in the treatment (anti-CA-gtf IgY) and placebo groups and a control group.

Adherence protects the binding sites of Helicobacter pylori urease from acid-induced damage.

Colonization by Helicobacter pylori partly depends on acid-dependent adherence by urease to gastric mucin. To further verify the relevance of urease adherence to colonization, the influence of acidity on the binding sites of H. pylori urease was investigated.