title: Persistence of humoral immunity to tetanus and diphtheria in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients after post-transplant immunization.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Persistence of humoral immunity was evaluated in 82 hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients up to 12.5 years after post-transplant immunization against tetanus and diphtheria.
  
  
  METHODS
  New immunization, initiated at least 12 months after transplantation, consisted of an average three-dose schedule of vaccine administration on day 1, month 3, and month 12. Serological data were collected at pre-transplant, post-transplant, vaccination, and post-vaccination time points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The first vaccination dose elicited a seroprotective response in most recipients, but the complete vaccine series (usually three-dose schedule) reinforced the specific immunity in most vaccinated cases, that is, 100% and 95.8% seroprotection against tetanus and diphtheria, respectively. Geometric mean concentration post-vaccination tetanus and diphtheria antibody levels persisted at 1.9 IU (95% CI: 1.23-2.94 IU/ml) and 0.20 IU (95% CI: 0.11-0.38 IU/ml) for 7 years, respectively. However, diphtheria antibodies were lost not significantly but much faster and more often than tetanus antibodies, though the seroprotection rates against tetanus and diphtheria remained favorable, that is, 100% (95% CI: 85.2-100%) and 87% (95% CI: 59.5-98.3%), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Full post-transplant revaccination resulted in long-term persistence of humoral immunity against tetanus and diphtheria in SCT recipients, for an average of 8.6 and 9.0 years, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Children's Vaccination Centre, University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jitka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Škovránková
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petráš
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000187:drug effects*; D007114:Immunization; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016511:Severe Combined Immunodeficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid