title: Cell-mediated and humoral immune responses to BCG and rubella vaccinations and to recall antigens in onchocerciasis patients.
abstract: In seven Liberian villages of different endemicity for onchocerciasis 629 persons were tested for tuberculin reactions using 5 i.u. purified protein derivative or old tuberculin. No correlation between infection with Onchocerca volvulus and reactivity to tuberculin was detected on a community level, but a direct comparison of results of infected and non-infected individuals in two neighboring villages revealed a lower responsiveness in persons with onchocerciasis. The conversion rate three months after BCG vaccination was significantly lower in children with onchocerciasis (48%) than in controls (85%). The possible impact of this finding on the efficacy of BCG vaccinations is discussed. Girls aged 2-16 years were screened for rubella antibodies using a latex agglutination test. Sera from 74 girls, who showed no antibodies, were examined before and four months after rubella vaccination by haemagglutination-inhibition-test and haemolysis-in-gel-test. No difference in the humoral immune response of girls with or without onchocerciasis was found. Seroconversion rates were 98% and 100%. Delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity (DCH) to seven ubiquitous recall antigens was tested in 147 persons infected with O. volvulus and compared to the results of 142 non-infected controls. A reduced responsiveness was seen in persons with onchocerciasis, the difference being greatest in young children 2-7 years of age. In connection with the results of tetanus vaccinations reported earlier, these findings verify the existence of a reduced in vivo responsiveness of cell-mediated immunity to non-specific antigens in onchocerciasis in the rain forest of West Africa. Humoral immune responses however appeared to be unaffected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Helminthology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, FRG.
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Kilian
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007988:Liberia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D051381:Rats; D012411:Rubella Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D012412:Rubella virus / Q000276:immunology; D014374:Tuberculin Test
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D012411:Rubella Vaccine