Avaliou-se a resposta imune celular e humoral de camundongos inoculados com vírus rábico de rua e submetidos aos imunomoduladores Onco-BCG, avridina e Propionibacterium acnes. Os animais submetidos ao tratamento com P.acnes apresentaram um maior percentual de sobrevivência quando comparados aos dos demais tratamentos. Foram observados menores níveis de IFN-<FONT FACE="Symbol">g</font> nos animais infectados, sugerindo imunossupressão viral. O teste do Coxim Plantar não foi eficaz para a detecção da resposta de hipersensibilidade retardada na metodologia utilizada, contrariamente ao MIF. A sobrevivência dos animais não apresentou correlação com os níveis de anticorpos soroneutralizantes, concentração de IFN-<FONT FACE="Symbol">g</font> e resposta ao MIF.

The cellular and humoral immune responses of mice inoculated with rabies virus and treated with the Bacillus of Calmette-Guérin, Avridine and Propionibacterium acnes were evaluated in this paper. There was a higher percentage of surviving mice in groups submitted to P. acnes treatment. Lower levels of interferon-<FONT FACE="Symbol">g</font> (IFN-<FONT FACE="Symbol">g</font>) were found in infected mice. The intra-pad inoculation test (IPI) was not effective to detect cellular immune response, contrary to the results found in MIF reaction. The survival of mice did not present correlation with the levels of antirabies serum neutralizing (SN) antibodies titers, IFN-<FONT FACE="Symbol">g</font> concentration and MIF response.

The human anti-rabies pre-exposure treatment currently used in Brazil, employing a 1-ml dose of suckling mouse brain vaccine (SMBV) administered on days 0, 2, 4 and 28, was compared to an alternative treatment with two 1 ml-doses on day 0, and one 1 ml-dose injected on days 7 and 21. The latter induced higher virus-neutralizing antibody (VNA) titers on day 21. Both Brazilian rabies vaccines produced with PV or CVS rabies virus strains were tested. Two additional volunteer vaccinee groups, receiving the pre-exposure and the abbreviated post-exposure schedules recommended by the WHO using cell-culture vaccine (CCV) produced with PM rabies virus strain, were included as reference. The VNA were measured against both PV and CVS strains on days 21, 42 and 180 by the cell-culture neutralization microtest. The PV-SMBV elicited higher seroconversion rates and VNA by day 21 than the CVS-SMBV. Both, however, failed to induce a long-term immunity, since VNA titers were <0.5 IU/ml on day 180, regardless of the schedule used. Cell-culture vaccine always elicited very high VNA on all days of collection. When serum samples from people receiving mouse brain tissue were titrated against the PV and CVS strains, the VNA obtained were similar, regardless of the vaccinal strain and the virus used in the neutralization test. These results contrast with those obtained with sera from people receiving PM-CCV, whose VNA were significantly higher when tested against the CVS strain.

Foi reestudado em um grupo adicional de 30 voluntários não expostos ao contágio um esquema reduzido para imunização pós-exposi-ção com vacina de sistema nervoso de camundongos recém-nascidos (Fuenzalida ; Palacios). A vacina foi administrada nos dias zero, 2, 4, 16 e 27. A resposta imune humoral foi avaliada por soroneutralização em cultura celular nos dias zero, 16 e 37. Já no dia 16 os títulos de anticorpos foram > 0.5 UI/ml e no dia 37 > 1.00 UI/ml. A resposta imune celular foi avaliada no dia 4 pelo teste cutâneo de hipersensibilidade tardia. Foram obtidos resultados positivos em todos os 30 voluntários estudados.

It was reevaluated a reduced schedule for anti-rabies post-exposure immunization with newborn mice nervous tissue vaccine (Fuenzalida 8c Palacios) in a group of 30 non exposed volunteers. The vaccine was administered by intramuscular injections on days zero, 2, 4, 16 and 27, in the deltoid area. Antibody levels were determinated by a simplified serum neutralization microtest on days zero, 16 and 37. On days 16 and 37 the antibody levels of the whole group was >0.5 IU/ml and >1.0 IU/ml, respectively. The cell mediated immunity was precociously detected (on day 4) by the delayed type hipersensitivity skin test. Our results show that this reduced schedule elicited an early and effective humoral and cellular immune response. However it is necessary other studies with larger groups of vaccinees in order to obtain definitive conclusion.

No presente trabalho foi padronizada uma microtécnica simplificada para a avaliação de anticorpos neutralizantes anti-rábicos com base no RFFIT e no FIMT. Este teste mostrou reprodutibilidade comparável a dos testes originais, sendo de execução mais simples e de leitura mais rápida. Uma microplaca de fabricação nacional para testes imuno-enzimáticos (PROSIL Ind. e Com.) pode ser utilizada com resultados equivalentes aos de microplacas Difco ou similar, com substancial redução de custos, mediante tratamento simples e rápido. O teste estudado pode ser implantado facilmente em laboratórios menos sofisticados substituindo com grandes vantagens a prova de soro-neutralização em camundongos ainda a mais empregada rotineiramente no Brasil.

A simplified fluorescence inhibition microtest (SFIMT) was standardized for the evaluation of antirabies serum neutralizing antibodies based on the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) and the fluorescence inhibition microtest (FIMT). The simplified test showed reproductibility similar to that of the FIMT with advantages as easier executation and quicker reading. A simple pre-treatment of Brazilian microplates produced for immune enzymatic assays (PROSIL) gave equivalent results and substantial coast reduction, in relation to imported plates (DIFCO). The simplified test can be easily implemented in less sophisticated laboratories, as alternative to the mouse serum neutralization test, still the most largely employed in Brazil, or even to others as RFFIT and FIMT.