title: Immunity after (re)vaccination of paediatric patients following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Loss of specific immunity follows allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in the majority of cases. Responses to (re)vaccinations can be used as indicators of a functional immunological recovery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three paediatric recipients of HSCT were enrolled in a single centre setting and responses to scheduled immunizations analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases was impaired post HSCT, but (re)vaccinations induced protective responses in 59-100%, depending on the vaccine, regardless of prior graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) history.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the marked impact of moderate to severe chronic prior GVHD on both the qualitative and quantitative T-cell recovery post allogenic HSCT, most paediatric recipients of allogeneic stem cell grafts appear to attain protective antibody levels after immunization.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. helena.olkinuora@hus.fi
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Olkinuora
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Käyhty
authors.forename: Irja
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Davidkin
authors.forename: Merja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roivainen
authors.forename: Rose-Marie
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Olander
authors.forename: Jussi M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kantele
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siitonen
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vettenranta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004167:Diphtheria Toxin / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology; D019741:Haemophilus influenzae type b / Q000276:immunology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology; D017955:Poliovirus / Q000276:immunology; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology; D013744:Tetanus Toxin / Q000276:immunology; D014181:Transplantation Immunology; D014611:Vaccination; D014612:Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004167:Diphtheria Toxin; D013744:Tetanus Toxin; D014612:Vaccines