Effect of immune globulin on the prevention of experimental hepatitis C virus infection

The efficacy of postexposure prophylaxis for the prevention of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was studied in experimentally infected chimpanzees, Three chimpanzees were inoculated with HCV: Two were treated 1 h later with anti-HCV-negative intravenous immune globulin (IGIV) or hepatitis C immune globulin (HCIG), and a third animal was not treated, HCV infection was detected in all 3 animals within a few days of inoculation, Once passively transferred anti-HCV declined in the HCIG-treated animal, there was an increase of HCV antigen (Ag)-positive hepatocytes followed by reappearance of anti-HCV; HCVAg disappeared concordant with the development of acute hepatitis, Acute hepatitis C developed in both the IGIV-treated and untreated chimpanzees, with peak liver enzyme activity on day 59, but was delayed in the HCIG-treated animal until day 146, Postexposure HCIG treatment markedly prolonged the incubation period of acute hepatitis C but did not prevent or delay HCV infection, IGIV had no effect on the course of HCV infection.