Effect of Pneumovax II vaccination in high-risk individuals on specific antibody and opsonic capacity against specific and non-specific antigen.
Pneumovax II vaccine has been used in many countries including the UK for adults in high-risk groups to prevent pneumococcal infections. However, its effectiveness has been a controversial issue. In this study, the specific antibody concentration and opsonic capacity of serum against specific and non-specific antigens were measured in 16 high-risk adults vaccinated with Pneumovax II. The results indicated that 38% of these individuals could make an antibody response to specific antigens post-vaccination; vaccination had a clear effect in increasing the opsonic capacity of serum against specific pneumococcal antigen (S14 serotype) in 31% of patients, but did not have any effect against non-specific antigen. The specific antibody concentration did not significantly positively correlate with the opsonic capacity of serum. Therefore, it is concluded that the protective effect of Pneumovax II vaccination against a specific serotype in high-risk individuals will only be around 30%.
Huo
Z
Z
Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, SW17 0RE, London, UK. zhuo@sghms.ac.uk
Miles
J
J
Harris
T
T
Riches
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010587:Phagocytosis; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines