title: Immune response of premature infants to meningococcal serogroup C and combined diphtheria-tetanus toxoids-acellular pertussis-Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccines.
abstract: To determine the immune response of premature infants to meningococcal serogroup C capsular polysaccharide (MCC) and combined diphtheria-tetanus toxoids-acellular pertussis-Haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP-Hib) conjugate vaccines, 105 infants born at <32 weeks' gestation had Hib IgG geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) and MCC serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) geometric mean titers (GMTs) measured 1 month after the third immunization. Term infants served as control subjects. Premature infants had Hib GMCs of 0.27 microg/mL, with 21% achieving GMCs >1.0 microg/mL, compared with 0.81 microg/mL and 46% in term infants (P<.001 and P=.003, respectively). The MCC SBA GMT was 398, with 99% achieving an SBA > or =8, compared with 380 and 98% in term infants (P=.84 and P=1.0, respectively). Hib IgG was associated with age at third immunization (P<.001). When combined with the DTaP vaccine used in this study, the Hib GMC of premature infants was extremely low. The SBA GMT to MCC was similar to that of term infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatal Medicine, Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom. marts@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Slack
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schapira
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Thwaites
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burrage
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Southern
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borrow
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldblatt
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D019741:Haemophilus influenzae type b / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination; D017778:Vaccines, Combined / Q000276:immunology*; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D017778:Vaccines, Combined; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate; C080881:diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-haemophilus b conjugate vaccine; C037676:meningococcal group C polysaccharide