title: Meningococcal antibody titres in infants of women immunised with meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine during pregnancy.
abstract: Seventy five Gambian women were immunised with a single dose of a group A+group C meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine during the last trimester of pregnancy. IgG antibody titres were measured in mothers and in their infants by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All women had a good response to vaccination and maternal antibodies were high at the time of delivery (23.2 micrograms/ml for group A antibodies and 14.3 micrograms/ml for group C antibodies). However, only a proportion of this antibody crossed the placenta; cord blood:maternal antibody ratios were 30% for group A antibody and 44% for group C antibody, respectively. Considerable variability in cord blood:maternal blood ratios was seen between individuals. This could not be related to age, parity, or ethnic group. Mean group A and group C cord blood:maternal blood ratios were lower in women with serological evidence of syphilis than in seronegative women, and diminished transfer of group A antibody was noted in women with active malarial infection of the placenta. Antibody titres declined rapidly in infants and by the age of 3-4 months these had reached control values. Maternal immunisation may give infants some protection against group A and group C meningococcal disease but only during the first few months of life.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratories, Banjul, Gambia.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: O'Dempsey
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McArdle
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ceesay
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Secka
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Demba
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Banya
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Greenwood
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology; D005714:Gambia; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines