title: Pneumococcal vaccination in splenectomized patients with hematological disorders.
abstract: Seventy splenectomized patients were vaccinated with Pneumovax, a pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. Twenty-four of the patients had a malignant and 30 a nonmalignant hematological disorder. The remaining 16 were patients with no known hematological disorder, seven with intra-abdominal carcinomas and nine with non-malignant reasons for splenectomy. About 90% of the patients with non-malignant hematological disorders responded to vaccination with a rise in antibody titres, which was significantly higher than in the other two groups studied. Malignant hematological disorders lowered the response rate to 61-67%. Patients with no known hematological disorder but with intra-abdominal carcinomas also responded less frequently, while those in this group with other surgical reasons for splenectomy had a response rate comparable to healthy individuals. No serious side-effects were reported and we therefore conclude that all splenectomized patients should be vaccinated with a pneumococcal vaccine. However, it must always be born in mind that one third of the patients with malignant disease did not respond to vaccination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Ostra Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lindblad
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaijser
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rödjer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Westin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009196:Myeloproliferative Disorders / Q000276:immunology; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D012307:Risk Factors; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines