Effects of Potassium Iodide on Low Avid Immunological Reactions: Probable Mechanism of Action on Selective Fungal Infections

Author(s):

Maiti PK*, Das S, Ghosh T and Dey R

Background: Selective inâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?vivo antiâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?fungal action of potassium iodide (KI) is an enigma, but circumstantial evidences strongly indicate some immune mechanism. Aim: Study was to demonstrate inâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?vitro immuneâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?modulating role of KI. Materials and Methods: In identical test conditions keeping appropriate control, different immunological tests were performed with and without 0.1% effective concentration of KI. i) Sera from Coombs positive mothers were treated with O, RhâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?positive erythrocyte suspensions along with Coombs’ sera (CS)/Bovine albumin (BA)/KI. ii) Amboceptor and complement (C) mixtures were titrated for hemolysis with or without KI. iii) Suspension of Salmonella Typhi with positive sera from enteric cases and C + KI was incubated at 37°C for 30 minutes, then subâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?cultured on MacConkey Agar. iv) Positive serum from chronic mucoâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?cutaneous candidiasis patient was treated with suspension of candida isolate and C + KI at 37°C for 30 minutes then subâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?cultured to note variations in colony counts. The data was analyzed by Fishers exact test using Graphpad Prism 5 version 5.00 (California USA) Results: i) KI like BA or CS showed hemagglutination. ii) CâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?mediated hemolysis was inhibited in presence of KI. iii) CâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?mediated lysis of S. typhi was partially enhanced by KI showing reduced number of colonies; iv) while lysis of candida was reduced. Conclusions: KI increases avidity of some immune reactions including CâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?mediated cell lysis. An increase or decrease of cellâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?lysis resulted by KI probably mediates by altered access of CâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?binding receptors. Thus, hypothetically, a nonâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?protective Splendore HoeppliâÂÃ?Â?ÂÃ?Â?like deposit around fungus may turn into protective immune mechanism by influence of KI.