Humoral response to conjugate pneumococcal vaccine in paediatric oncology patients.
OBJECTIVE
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) is an effective way to prevent invasive pneumococcal diseases in high risk populations. The efficacy of this vaccine in paediatric oncology patients remains unknown.


METHODS
The authors evaluated the antibody response to seven pneumococcal serotypes in paediatric oncology patients given two doses of heptavalent PCV (PCV-7).


RESULTS
Forty-four patients (20 males; 24 females) with median age 9.5 years were studied. After two doses of PCV-7, 86-100% of patients had protective antibody titres against the seven vaccine serotypes. Increases in geometric mean antibody concentrations ranged from 3.8-fold for serotype 19F to 85.8-fold for serotype 14. There was no documented invasive pneumococcal disease in our cohort during the study period.


CONCLUSIONS
PCV can elicit protective antipneumococcal antibody responses in paediatric oncology patients.
Department of Paediatrics, 6/F, Clinical Sciences Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong. frankiecheng@cuhk.edu.hk
Frankie Wai Tsoi
FW
Cheng
Margaret
M
Ip
Yvonne Yuen Ling
YY
Chu
Zheng
Z
Lin
Vincent
V
Lee
Ming Kong
MK
Shing
Wing Kwan
WK
Leung
Patrick Man Pan
PM
Yuen
Chi Kong
CK
Li
D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate