Diphtheria toxin has the capacity to block protein synthesis in cultured mammalian cells, and thus causing cell death. This capacity of diphtheria toxin was utilized for in-vitro neutralization test to determine antibody titer, using Vero cells, which have been found to be susceptible to diphtheria toxin. In the present study, a Vero cell assay was standardized and validated for potency estimat...

The main objective of this study was to investigate the booster antibody response in individuals with initially high levels of diphtheria antitoxin. Sixty individuals eligible for the routine booster by the age of 18 years each received a single dose of 5 Lf of diphtheria toxoid in diphtheria-tetanus vaccine. A double antigen ELISA was used for the assessment of the antibody levels. Chaotropic ...

In 1917 a serious outbreak of diphtheria occurred in one of these schools, when 40 cases of diphtheria occurred with two deaths. Since then, in spite of scrupulous attention to school hygiene, isolation of cases and search for contact carriers, there has been an annual crop of diphtheria cases which has caused so much trouble to the school authorities, and so much anxiety to parents, that fear ...

There is a global shortage of equine-derived diphtheria anti-toxin (DAT) for diphtheria treatment. There are few existing data on serum antibody concentrations and neutralizing activity post-treatment to support development of new therapeutics. Antibody concentrations were quantified by ELISA and anti-toxin neutralizing activity by cytotoxicity assay in serum from 4 patients receiving DAT for s...

A case of diphtheria encountered in the accident and emergency department is described. In addition, 38 cases of diphtheria have been analysed, and demonstrate that, although now rare in this country, the disease still exists and its clinical features remain unchanged. It presents almost as often in the accident and emergency department as it does to the general practitioner and remains overwhe...