Age-stratified prevalences of pneumococcal-serotype-specific immunoglobulin G in England and their relationship to the serotype-specific incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease prior to the introduction of the pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine.
Recent changes to the childhood immunization schedule in the United Kingdom have resulted in the inclusion of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. However, the seroprevalence of pneumococcal antibodies in the population was unknown. To address this, we measured pneumococcal, age-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations specific for nine serotypes by an assay run on the Bioplex platform, using 2,664 serum samples collected in England from 2000 to 2004. The lowest concentrations of IgG specific to all serotypes and the proportions of serotype-specific IgG concentrations of >/=0.35 microg/ml were observed in children aged <1 year. From 1 year on, there was a general increase in antibody levels with increasing age, and they remained high in adults. Maternal antibody was detected in young children aged <36 days but waned rapidly. Comparison of the age-specific seroprevalence of serotype-specific IgG to the serotype-specific incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease demonstrated a general inverse relationship for all age groups except the elderly. These data provide a baseline for natural immunity to the pneumococcal serotypes analyzed prior to the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the United Kingdom.
Balmer
Paul
P
Vaccine Evaluation Unit, Health Protection Agency, Manchester Laboratory, Clinical Sciences Building 2, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom M13 9WZ.
Borrow
Ray
R
Findlow
Jamie
J
Warrington
Rosalind
R
Frankland
Sarah
S
Waight
Pauline
P
George
Robert
R
Andrews
Nick
N
Miller
Elizabeth
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines