Relation of Nutritional Deficiency in Man to Antibody Production

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Abstract
Summary: The amount of circulating antitoxin produced by 25 Schick negative nutritionally depleted patients and 19 Schick negative well-nourished adults following a single intramuscular injection of purified diphtheria toxoid has been measured quantitatively. Severely ill, nutritionally depleted patients were found capable of producing antibody as well as, or better than the healthy controls. Furthermore, antibody production was found to continue up to the time of death from wasting disease. No relation was found to exist between antibody response, the age of the patient, the initial antibody level, total serum protein, serum albumin or serum globulin levels. No relation was found between antibody response and the development of infection.