title: Diphtheria immunity in UK blood donors.
abstract: Immunity to diphtheria was determined in serum samples from 1000 UK-born blood donors at the North London Blood Transfusion Centre during a three-month period in 1993; 125 women and 125 men were stratified in 10-year age groups, from 20 to 59. A tissue (vero cell)-culture toxin-neutralisation assay was used to measure serum diphtheria antitoxin concentrations. According to internationally accepted definitions (antitoxin < 0.01 IU/mL = susceptibility, 0.01-0.09 IU/mL = basic protection, and > or = 0.1 IU/mL = full protection), 37.6% of donors were susceptible to diphtheria, 31.5% had basic protection, and 30.9% were fully protected. Log-linear modelling of the influence of age and sex on population immunity showed a significant trend (p < 0.001) of decreasing immunity with increasing age: 25.2% of donors aged 20-29 were susceptible compared with 52.8% of those aged 50-59. There was a small sex effect (p = 0.052); similar proportions of men and women were susceptible, but fewer women had full protection. There was no age-sex interaction on immunity (p = 0.454). Our results suggest that booster immunisation of adults is necessary to increase herd immunity of the adult population.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory and Systemic Infection Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, London, UK.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Maple
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Efstratiou
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sesardic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007110:Immunity, Active; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006113:United Kingdom