Sex differences in the humoral antibody response to live measles vaccine in young adults.
BACKGROUND
Following vaccination of children using high-titre live measles vaccine, excess non-specific mortality was reported, particularly among females. Since vaccination with live measles virus results in a temporary depression of the immune response to other antigens, the female predominance in subsequent non-measles mortality may be due to sex differences in response to live measles vaccines.


METHODS
In this study, the immunogenicity of standard titre live Schwarz strain measles vaccine was examined 2 and 4 weeks post-vaccination in 223 males and 66 female aged 18-20 years in Israel in 1991.


RESULTS
Females had higher post-vaccination geometric mean titre (GMT) at all levels of pre-vaccination titres at both 2 and 4 weeks. Furthermore, after controlling for differences in pre-vaccination titres, overall the post-vaccination GMT for females was about 50% higher than for males (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that females exhibit a stronger humoral immune response to measles vaccine. Possible sex differences in immunosuppression following measles vaccination should be explored.
Green
M S
MS
Medical Corps, Israel Defense Force.
Shohat
T
T
Lerman
Y
Y
Cohen
D
D
Slepon
R
R
Duvdevani
P
P
Varsano
N
N
Dagan
R
R
Mendelson
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014611:Vaccination
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D008458:Measles Vaccine