title: Cellular immune responses of preterm infants after vaccination with whole-cell or acellular pertussis vaccines.
abstract: Based on studies reporting specific antibody titers, it is recommended to vaccinate preterm infants against Bordetella pertussis according to their chronological age. However, as specific T-cell responses also are involved in the protection against B. pertussis, we have determined whether highly preterm infants (<31 weeks) are able to mount these immune responses during vaccination. Forty-eight premature infants were vaccinated at 2, 3, and 4 months of their chronological age with an acellular (Pa; n = 24) or a whole-cell (Pw; n = 24) tetravalent diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-polio vaccine, and blood samples were collected at 2, 3, and 6 months of age. Most of the Pa- and Pw-vaccinated infants developed at 3 or 6 months of age a gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) response to the B. pertussis antigens, accompanied by an interleukin-5 (IL-5) and IL-13 secretion for the Pa-vaccinated infants. No association was found between a very low infant birth weight, the occurrence of severe infections, and corticosteroid treatment or the administration of gammaglobulins with a low level of antigen-induced IFN-gamma secretion. We conclude that like full-term infants, most preterm infants are able to mount a specific cellular immune response to the administration of the first doses of an acellular or a whole-cell pertussis vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department, Laboratory of Vaccinology and Mucosal Immunity, Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Verscheure
authors.forename: Eliane
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Damis
authors.forename: Danièle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vermeylen
authors.forename: Gaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leloux
authors.forename: Violette
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dirix
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Locht
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mascart
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000276:immunology*; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid / Q000276:immunology*; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000378:metabolism; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated / Q000276:immunology*; D047928:Premature Birth; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology*; D022282:Vaccines, Acellular / Q000276:immunology; D017778:Vaccines, Combined
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; C051021:DTPP vaccine; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D018793:Interleukin-13; D015848:Interleukin-5; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D022282:Vaccines, Acellular; D017778:Vaccines, Combined; D007371:Interferon-gamma