title: Antibody persistence and immunological memory at age 4 years after meningococcal group C conjugate vaccination in children in the United kingdom.
abstract: Antibody persistence and immunological priming for 2 formulations of a meningococcal group C (menC) conjugate (MCC) vaccine (containing 2 or 10 microg of menC polysaccharide) administered at 2, 3, and 4 months of age was investigated by boosting vaccine recipients at age 13-16 months or 4 years with 10 microg of unconjugated menC polysaccharide. At age 4 years, geometric mean titers (GMTs) and concentrations of menC-specific immunoglobulin G and serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) had decreased to prevaccination levels. Geometric mean avidity indices increased after the primary vaccination until age 13-16 months and then remained constant until age 4 years. One month after boosting at age 4 years, menC immunoglobulin G and SBA levels increased significantly. The postbooster SBA GMT for the 2-microg vaccination (2181.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 975.9-4875.1) was 2-fold higher than that for the 10-microg vaccination (931.6; 95% CI, 338.0-2568.1). This is the first demonstration of immunological memory at 4 years of age in children receiving MCC vaccine on the United Kingdom's 2/3/4-month immunization schedule.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Laboratory Service Meningococcal Reference Unit, Withington Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom. rborrow@nw.phls.org.uk
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borrow
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldblatt
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Southern
authors.forename: Lindsey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ashton
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deane
authors.forename: Rhonwen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cartwright
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate