IMPACTT protocole

Question

The physician who follows my 15 year old son proposed him to participate in the IMPACTT study (http://impactt.eu/) which is to gargle and then swallow every night a formula enriched with egg yolk Y immunoglobulin. From what I understand, the hens are vaccinated against pyo and produce antibodies that are found in eggs.
Several questions:
- What are the consequences - risks for the patient to ingest daily egg yolk (allergies, liver effects ....)?
- does ingestion of egg yolk containing a form of this strain of germ leads to a risk of contamination?
- I usually buy organic eggs to avoid food poisoning (salmonella, viruses ...), are the "research" hens raised in an "organic" farm ? how are the chickens fed and raised ?
Thank you for your answers

Answer

Hello

- There are no adverse consequences to ingest daily small amounts of egg yolk contained in this preparation
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa (pyocyaneus) is administered to hens to become immune and the immunoglobulins produced after this administration can act as potentially beneficial. The germ is not found in the eggs.
- Regarding raising conditions, all laying hens in Sweden are kept under high hygienic conditions and the prevalence of salmonella is extremely low. The hens that produce the eggs for the IMPACTT study are kept in small groups in furnished cages (with perches and dustbath). They are fed a heat-treated concentrate mixed with grain produced on the same farm where the hens are kept. They are routinely tested for salmonella and the most common viral and bacterial diseases that affect poultry.

I hope that answers your question
Anna Ronayette (Head of clinical research programs of Vaincre la mucoviscidose)

07.05.2012