title: Vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis virus tests specific IgG production ability in patients under immunoglobulin substitution therapy.
abstract: To assess B-cell function in patients under immunoglobulin (IgG)-replacement therapy, the non-licensed artificial bacteriophage (ΦX174)-neo-antigen may be used despite limited availability and experience. Active immunization against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is performed in few European countries. To test the feasibility of using licensed TBE vaccination as (neo-)antigen to determine residual or restored B-cell function in patients under regular IgG substitution, TBE-IgG levels were analyzed in 18 patients with ≥ 1-2 years of regular intravenous or subcutaneous IgG substitution and in pharmaceutical IgG-preparations (n=21 batches, 10 products). Six individuals were boosted against TBE. Although TBE-specific IgG was detectable in concentrates (281-57,100 VieU/0.5 μL), levels were only borderline in patient sera (n=31, 18 individuals; median 132 VieU; positive >155). Thus, TBE vaccination may be used to test B-cell function under IgG replacement therapy because IgG substitution appears insufficient to yield protective TBE-specific antibody levels in children.
authors.affiliation: St. Anna Children's Hospital, Kinderspitalgasse 6, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Markus G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Seidel
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grohmann
authors.forename: Kambis
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sadeghi
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pollak
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heitger
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Förster-Waldl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000276:immunology; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014765:Viral Vaccines