title: Investigation of serum bactericidal activity in childhood and adolescence 3-6 years after vaccination with a single dose of serogroup C meningococcal conjugate vaccine.
abstract: Serogroup C meningococcal conjugate vaccines were introduced in Greece in 2001, and although no cases of serogroup C meningococcal disease were recorded in 2004, a steady increase was observed since 2005. In this study, serum bactericidal activity was assessed in sera of 269 vaccinated children at a mean time of about 5 years after vaccination. Non-protective antibody titers were observed in most children vaccinated at age <6 years (85.9%), followed by those between 6 and 10 years (62.2%). This percentage was considerably lower in adolescents vaccinated at an age >10 years (37.8%) (p<0.01). Geometric mean concentrations of serum IgG antibodies against serogroup C showed a similar variation. The results indicate that serum bactericidal antibody titers significantly correlate with age of vaccination; most children do not have protective antibody titers few years after immunization in infancy and childhood whereas most adolescents maintain sustained protection.
authors.affiliation: National Meningitis Reference Laboratory, National School of Public Health, 196, Alexandras Avenue, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Irine-Ikbale
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Sakou
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tzanakaki
authors.forename: Maria N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Tsolia
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sioumala
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbouni
authors.forename: Miltiades
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kyprianou
authors.forename: Vana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papaevangelou
authors.forename: Artemis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsitsika
authors.forename: Caroline C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Blackwell
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kafetzis
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kremastinou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D038542:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate; C410218:serogroup C meningococcal conjugate vaccine