title: Sero epidemiology of Bordetella pertussis immune responses in a healthy population in northern Greece.
abstract: A seroepidemiological study was conducted on a representative sample of the northern Greek population (healthy individuals, age range=1 day to 80 years) to assess the prevalence of antibodies to pertussis toxin (PT) and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA). Antibody concentrations were significantly elevated with age (analysis of variance (ANOVA), P<0.001). In addition, a significant increase in antibody levels was detected in subjects >50 years old compared to children aged 5-10 years (post-hoc Scheffe analysis, P=0.007). These data suggest that pertussis occurs frequently in Greek adults, and that sometimes a fifth booster vaccine dose is not given after the second year of life. Routine revaccination with the acellular vaccine for children >4 years of age, adolescents, and adults should be considered in order to ensure effective protection of the whole population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Hippokration University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polyzou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pournaras
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dafni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sofianou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Christeli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patrinos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsakris
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D037342:Pertussis Toxin / Q000276:immunology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella / Q000276:immunology*; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella; C065273:filamentous hemagglutinin adhesin, Bordetella pertussis; D037342:Pertussis Toxin