Twin studies of immunogenicity--determining the genetic contribution to vaccine failure.
BACKGROUND
Estimating the magnitude of the genetic contribution to the overall variation of antibody levels among individuals should help clarify the role of genetic association in the biological mechanism of vaccine response and failure. This, in turn, should help guide the design of improved vaccines with enhanced efficacy.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the magnitude of genetic influence on antibody levels following measles, mumps and rubella vaccines.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey study.


METHODS
Olmsted County, Minnesota.


METHODS
Healthy twin-pairs. Of the 100 twin-pairs enrolled, 45 were monozygotic.


METHODS
Determinations of zygosity, vaccine status, and quantitative IgG to measles, mumps, and rubella.


METHODS
Heritability (ratio of genetic variance to total variance).


RESULTS
The number of vaccine-doses, the age at initial immunization, and the time between immunization and sampling did not differ between monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs. The genetic variance - the variance in antibody levels presumably due to genetic effects - was 0.49 for measles, 0.54 for mumps, and 0.13 for rubella. Heritability, the ratio of genetic variance to total variance, was 88.5% for measles, with the lower bound of a one-sided 95% confidence interval equal to 52.4%. The heritability was, for mumps, 38.8% with a lower bound of 1.60%. The heritability for rubella was 45.7% with a lower bound of 4.94%.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data support the concept that genetic influences play a substantial role in the variation of antibody levels following immunization against measles and, to a lesser extent, mumps and rubella.
Department of Paediatrics, National University Hospital, Singapore.
P L
PL
Tan
R M
RM
Jacobson
G A
GA
Poland
S J
SJ
Jacobsen
V S
VS
Pankratz
D000293:Adolescent; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000235:genetics; D001699:Biometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007125:Immunogenetics; D008297:Male; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic; D014612:Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014612:Vaccines