COMBINATIONS OF GANCICLOVIR AND ANTIBODY FOR EXPERIMENTAL CMV INFECTIONS

The effect of combined treatment with ganciclovir and hyper immune ser um (HIS) was evaluated in three animal models. It concerned a generali zed CMV infection model, a meningo-encephalitis model and an interstit ial lung disease (ILD) model in immunocompromised rats. In the general ized model, the ganciclovir and HIS had a moderate synergistic effect on survival and greatly decreased virus titers in internal organs. In contrast, in the meningoencephalitis model, combined treatment had no effect on the local virus titers and the histopathology. Combined trea tment with ganciclovir and HIS, however, effectively abolished CMV-ind uced ILD.