title: A need for careful evaluation of endotoxin contents in acellular pertussis-based combination vaccines.
abstract: Two batches each of diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) and that combined with inactivated polio vaccine purchased from foreign markets were tested by mouse body weight decreasing (BWD) toxicity test and Limulus amaebocyte lysate (LAL) test. Three out of the four imported vaccine batches showed the levels of BWD toxicity even comparable to that of DT-whole cell pertussis vaccine. BWD toxicity test is based on endotoxin dose-dependent weight loss of mice and has been used for controlling endotoxin in DTaP. Although of the strong BWD toxicity of the imported vaccines, there was no marked difference in LAL test results between the imported vaccines and Japanese DTaP. However, one imported DTaP batch showed very strong interference with LAL activity of spiked lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The batch interfered not only with LAL activity but also with pyrogenicity and prostaglandin E(2) induction activity. However, the pyrogenicity of the spiked LPS could be recovered from the precipitated fraction of the batch by treating with phosphate buffer to suggest the possibility of recovering in vivo toxicity. As an adequate in vitro test method could not be identified for controlling the safety of the interfering batch, an appropriate in vivo test would be required for testing such vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Infection Control, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-7-1 Gakuen, Musashimurayama-shi, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan.
authors.forename: Michiyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ochiai
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horiuchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D022681:Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular Pertussis Vaccines / Q000032:analysis*; D004340:Drug Contamination; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008033:Limulus Test; D051379:Mice; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D022681:Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular Pertussis Vaccines; D004731:Endotoxins