title: Immune responses to administration of a vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type B in splenectomized and non-splenectomized patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  we investigated the cause of hypo-responsiveness to vaccines in splenectomized subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  we evaluated the immune responses to a Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine and the sizes of lymphocyte subpopulations in 25 splenectomized and 45 non-splenectomized thalassaemic patients, in 12 individuals who had been splenectomized after trauma and in 20 controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the immune response in the controls was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than in splenectomized patients after trauma and in both, the response was higher (P < 0.001) than in thalassaemic patients. In asplenic subjects after trauma, percentages of CD3 and CD4 cells were lower (P < 0.001) than in patients in the other groups; the controls had higher percentages of CD8 cells (P < 0.001) than patients in the other groups. The natural logarithm of the mean percentage of (CD19 showed a quadratic trend from thalassaemic patients through asplenic subjects to controls (P < 0.001). Levels of CD16+ natural killer (NK) cells were higher (P < 0.001) only in asplenic subjects after trauma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the significant decrease in the immune response of the splenectomized thalassaemic patients vs. non-splenectomized thalassaemic patients may, in part, be due to their basic immunological condition. Thus, the best strategy for protecting these subjects is to vaccinate them before the splenectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li Volti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sciotto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fisichella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sciacca
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Munda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mangiagli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li Volti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lupo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D019741:Haemophilus influenzae type b / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines