Anti-phage serum antibody responses and the outcome of phage therapy.

We examined the appearance of serum anti-phage antibodies in 25 patients with chronic sinusitis treated with phage therapy (PT). Approximately 30% of patients with weak antibody responses responded positively to PT, which was similar to the results of treatment achieved in a group of patients with high antibody production. In addition, there was no correlation between antibody level and the outcome of PT. These data, derived from a homogenous group of patients, confirm our earlier findings suggesting that the prognostic significance of serum anti-phage antibodies for the outcome of PT should be determined by relevant clinical trials.

Therapeutic potential of phages in autoimmune liver diseases.

Autoimmune liver disease (ALD) poses a difficult medical challenge, as there is a significant number of patients in whom current therapy offers questionable or no benefit, yet its side effects may be serious, including the development of malignancy. Bacterial viruses (phages) have been recognized increasingly as immunomodulators contributing to immune homeostasis and curbing inflammation. Accumulating data suggest that phages may be useful in immunotherapy of ALD. Phages have been shown to down-regulate the expression and/or production and activity of factors associated with hepatic injury [reactive oxygen species, Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 activation, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation, proinflammatory and procoagulant activities of platelets] and up-regulate the expression and/or production of factors demonstrated as playing a protective role [interleukin (IL)-10, IL-1 receptor antagonist].