title: Polysaccharide vaccines: determinants of clinical efficacy.
abstract: Many common bacteria cause disease because their polysaccharide capsules prevent phagocytosis. Antibody directed against these capsules is the basis for some of the most effective bacterial vaccines. Nevertheless, many diseases caused by such bacteria continue to cause serious morbidity. Recent findings indicate that several previously unrecognized factors (most notably, genetics) determine responsiveness to capsular polysaccharides.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Musher
mesh_terms: D000486:Allergy and Immunology / Q000266:history; D000917:Antibody Formation; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000266:history* / Q000276:immunology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000266:history / Q000517:prevention & control; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000266:history* / Q000276:immunology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000266:history; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines