Compositions and methods for enhancing immune response

1. A method of enhancing immune response in a subject having a bacterial infection, said method comprising administering to said subject a polymeric material in an amount of from 5 μg/kg to 50 mg/kg of body weight per day to enhance immune function in the subject, wherein said polymeric material is formed by reaction of 6 to 8 molar equivalents of oxygen with a carotenoid selected from β-carotene and lycopene, wherein said polymeric material has a molecular weight of greater than 1,000 Daltons.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material is administered intravenously, ocularly, intramuscularly, topically, subcutaneously, or intranasally.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said bacterial infection is selected from the group consisting of community-acquired pneumonia, upper and lower respiratory tract infection, skin and soft tissue infection, acute bacterial otitis media, bacterial pneumonia, complicated infection, pyelonephritis, intra-abdominal infection, bacterial sepsis, central nervous system infection, bacteremia, wound infection, peritonitis, meningitis, infections after burn, urogenital tract infection, pelvic inflammatory disease, endocarditis, and intravascular infection.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material is administered ocularly for the treatment of an eye infection.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material is administered topically to the mouth of said subject for the treatment of an oral infection.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising administering to said subject an antibiotic, wherein said polymeric material and said antibiotic are administered simultaneously, or within 14 days of each other.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said antibiotic is selected from the group consisting of aminoglycosides, amphenicols, ansamycins, β-Lactams, carbapenems, cephalosporins, cephamycins, monobactams, oxacephems, lincosamides, macrolides, polypeptides, tetracyclines, 2,4-diaminopyrimidines, nitrofurans, quinolones, sulfonamides, sulfones, lipopeptides, and ketolides.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein said antibiotic is selected from the group consisting of amikacin, apramycin, arbekacin, bambermycins, butirosin, dibekacin, dihydrostreptomycin, fortimicin(s), fradiomycin, gentamicin, ispamicin, kanamycin, micronomicin, neomycin, neomycin undecylenate, netilmicin, paromomycin, ribostamycin, sisomicin, spectinomycin, streptomycin, streptonicozid, tobramycin, azidamfenicol, chloramphenicol, chloramphenicol palmirate, chloramphenicol pantothenate, florfenicol, thiamphenicol, rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, rifaximin, amidinocillin, amdinocillin, pivoxil, amoxicillin, ampicillin, aspoxicillin, azidocillin, azlocillin, bacampicillin, benzylpenicillinic acid, benzylpenicillin, carbenicillin, carfecillin, carindacillin, clometocillin, cloxacillin, cyclacillin, dicloxacillin, diphenicillin, epicillin, fenbenicillin, floxicillin, hetacillin, lenampicillin, metampicillin, methicillin, mezlocillin, nafcillin, oxacillin, penamecillin, penethamate hydriodide, penicillin G benethamine, penicillin G benzathine, penicillin G benzhydrylamine, penicillin G calcium, penicillin G hydragamine, penicillin G potassium, penicillin G, procaine, penicillin N, penicillin O, penicillin V, penicillin V benzathine, penicillin V hydrabamine, penimepicycline, phenethicillin, piperacillin, pivapicillin, propicillin, quinacillin, sulbenicillin, talampicillin, temocillin, ticarcillin, imipenem, 1-carba (dethia) cephalosporin, cefactor, cefadroxil, cefamandole, cefatrizine, cefazedone, cefazolin, cefixime, cefmenoxime, cefodizime, cefonicid, cefoperazone, ceforanide, cefotaxime, cefotiam, cefpimizole, cefpirimide, cefpodoxime proxetil, cefroxadine, cefsulodin, ceftazidime, cefteram, ceftezole, ceftibuten, ceftizoxime, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, cefuzonam, cephacetrile sodium, cephalexin, cephaloglycin, cephaloridine, cephalosporin, cephalothin, cephapirin sodium, cephradine, pivcefalexin, cephalothin, cefaclor, cefotetan, cefprozil, loracarbef, cefetamet, cefepime, cefbuperazone, cefmetazole, cefminox, cefetan, cefoxitin, aztreonam, carumonam, tigemonan, flomoxef, moxolactam, clindamycin, lincomycin, azithromycin, carbomycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin(s) and derivatives, josamycin, leucomycins, midecamycins, miokamycin, oleandomycin, primycin, rokitamycin, rosaramicin, roxithromycin, spiramycin, troleandomycin, amphomycin, bacitracin, capreomycin, colistin, enduracidin, enylomycin, fusafungine, gramicidin(s), gramicidin S, mikamycin, polymyxin, polymyxin β-methanesulfonic acid, pristinamycin, ristocetin, teicoplanin, thiostrepton, tuberactinomycin, tyrocidine, tyrothricin, vancomycin, viomycin(s), virginiamycin, zinc bacitracin, spicycline, chlortetracycline, clornocycline, demeclocycline, doxycycline, guamecycline, lymecycline, meclocycline, methacycline, minocycline, oxytetracycline, penimepicycline, pipacycline, rolitetracycline, sancycline, senociclin, tetracycline, brodimoprim, tetroxoprim, trimethoprim, furaltadone, furazolium, nifuradene, nifuratel, nifurfoline, nifurpirinol, nifurprazine, nifurtoinol, nitrofurantoin, amifloxacin, cinoxacin, ciprofloxacin, difloxacin, enoxacin, fleroxacin, flumequine, lomefloxacin, miloxacin, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, oxolinic acid, perfloxacin, pipemidic acid, piromidic acid, rosoxacin, temafloxacin, tosufloxacin, acetyl sulfamethoxypyrazine, acetyl sulfisoxazole, azosulfamide, benzylsulfamide, chloramine-β, chloramine-T, dichloramine-T, formosulfathiazole, N2-formyl-sulfisomidine, N4-β-D-glucosylsulfanilamide, mafenide, 4′-(methyl-sulfamoyl)sulfanilanilide, p-nitrosulfathiazole, noprylsulfamide, phthalylsulfacetamide, phthalylsulfathiazole, salazosulfadimidine, succinylsulfathiazole, sulfabenzamide, sulfacetamide, sulfachlorpyridazine, sulfachrysoidine, sulfacytine, sulfadiazine, sulfadicramide, sulfadimethoxine, sulfadoxine, sulfaethidole, sulfaguanidine, sulfaguanol, sulfalene, sulfaloxic acid, sulfamerazine, sulfameter, sulfamethazine, sulfamethizole, sulfamethomidine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethoxypyridazine, sulfametrole, sulfamidochrysoidine, sulfamoxole, sulfanilamide, sulfanilamidomethanesulfonic acid triethanolamine salt, 4-sulfanilamidosalicyclic acid, N4-sulfanilylsulfanilamide, sulfanilylurea, N-sulfanilyl-3,4-xylamide, sulfanitran, sulfaperine, sulfaphenazole, sulfaproxyline, sulfapyrazine, sulfapyridine, sulfasomizole, sulfasymazine, sulfathiazole, sulfathiourea, sulfatolamide, sulfisomidine, sulfisoxazole, acedapsone, acediasulfone, acetosulfone, dapsone, diathymosulfone, glucosulfone, solasulfone, succisulfone, sulfanilic acid, p-sulfanilylbenzylamine, p,p′-sulfonyldianiline-N,N′digalactoside, sulfoxone, thiazolsulfone, daptomycin, linezolid, telithromycin, clofoctol, hexedine, magainins, methenamine, methenamine anhydromethylene-citrate, methenamine hippurate, methenamine mandelate, methenamine subsalicylate, nitroxoline, squalamine, xibomol, cycloserine, mupirocin, and tuberin.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said subject is a domesticated pet.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said domesticated pet is selected from the group consisting of a dog, cat, horse, and bird.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said subject is an agricultural animal.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said agricultural animal is selected from the group consisting of a sheep, swine, cow, turkey, chicken, or fish.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said subject is a human.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material is formed by reaction of 6 to 8 molar equivalents of oxygen with β-carotene.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing immune function in the subject comprises increasing the expression of IL-8 in the subject.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing immune function in the subject comprises increasing the expression of MCP-1 in the subject.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing immune function in the subject comprises activating the innate immune system in the subject.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing immune function in the subject comprises activating the adaptive immune system in the subject.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing immune function in the subject comprises increasing phagocytotic activity in the subject.