Digital Commons Network^™

Penicillin Allergy And Hypersensitivity Fever, Michael Joseph Chusid

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

[From the Summary] Rabbits immunized to benzylpenicillin G were found to develop circulating anti-benzylpenicillin antibodies. After immunization, challenge of these animals with intravenous aqueous penicillin was ineffective in eliciting fever. However, intravenous challenge with a penicillin-rabbit serum protein conjugate led to typical hypersensitivity fevers which were roughly correlated in magnitude with titers of benzylpenicillin antibody. Febrile tolerance developed after one or two challenges with the conjugate. This form of hypersensitivity appeared to be transferable with plasma of immunized donors to normal rabbits. Finally, blood leukocytes of immunized rabbits incubated with penicillin-protected conjugate and hypersensitive serum released pyrogen in vitro while …