title: Persistence of pneumococcal antibodies after immunization in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Antibody levels to 12 different pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides as well as the combined mean antibody level were measured in 19 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at 1, 2 and 3 years after immunization with a polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine and compared to 5 normal control subjects immunized at the same time. The mean levels in the 19 SLE patients were lower in all 3 years but the difference reached significance only in Year 1. At 3 years, 8 of the 19 SLE patients had levels below that considered to be protective and one such patient developed a pneumococcal pneumonia.
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial