Influence of Bacillus Calmette-Guèrin vaccination at birth and 2 months old age on the peripheral blood T-cell subpopulations [gamma/delta and alpha-beta T cell].
The neonatal immune system is immature and may be affected by Bacillus Calmette-Guèrin (BCG) vaccine. We investigated the influence of BCG given at two different ages on the peripheral blood (PB) T-cell subpopulations. Forty full term healthy newborns were randomly chosen. Twenty of them were vaccinated with BCG at birth (group I) and the remaining at the age of 2 months (group II). The cell analysis were carried out before (pre-BCGI and pre-BCGII), and 2 months after (post-BCGI and post-BCGII) the vaccination. The analysis of the gamma/delta and alpha/beta T-cell receptor (TCR) antigens was done by two-colour flowcytometer. The purified protein derivative (PPD) response was investigated 2 months after vaccination. The results showed that although T-cell (TCR+ cell) counts showed no difference in PB before and after vaccination in both study groups, the total lymphocyte and non-T cell (TCR- cell) populations increased significantly whereas alphabetaT-cell population significantly decreased after vaccination. On the contrary, gammadeltaT-cell counts in PB increased significantly 2 months after vaccination in group I but not in group II. Total lymphocyte and non-T cell counts in vaccinated infants at 2 months of age (post-BCGI) were significantly higher than in unvaccinated infants of the same age whereas alphabetaT-cell count in vaccinated infants was significantly low. However, total T-cell and gammadeltaT-cell counts showed no difference. PPD positivity was similar in both study groups (61% in group I, 66% in group II). Neither alphabetaT- nor gammadeltaT-cell counts were different in PPD positive and PPD negative infants. Our study shows that BCG causes marked quantitative changes in the PB T-cell subpopulations in young infants.
Taştan
Y
Y
Department of Pediatrics, Cerrahpasa Medical School, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. tastan@istanbul.edu.tr
Arvas
A
A
Demir
G
G
Alikaşifoğlu
M
M
Gür
E
E
Kiray
E
E
D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000378:metabolism*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014611:Vaccination
D001500:BCG Vaccine; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta