title: Evidence for familial immune defect in meningococcal meningitis.
abstract: Twenty-six patients who had recovered from group A meningococcal meningitis were vaccinated with group C meningococcal polysaccharide and tetanus toxoid. Their haemagglutinating antibody response was measured two weeks later and compared with those of 22 siblings and 39 controls. Patients and siblings had a significantly lower antibody response to the group C vaccine but not to tetanus toxoid. This suggests that patients susceptible to meningococcal disease may have an immune defect involving their response to meningococcal polysaccharides.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000276:immunology*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid