title: Bactericidal antibody persistence 2 years after immunization with 2 investigational serogroup B meningococcal vaccines at 6, 8 and 12 months and immunogenicity of preschool booster doses: a follow-on study to a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In a previous study, 60 infants receiving an investigational serogroup B meningococcal vaccine containing recombinant meningococcal proteins alone (rMenB) or combined with an outer membrane vesicle from Neisseria meningitidis (4CMenB) at 6, 8 and 12 months of age produced serum bactericidal antibodies (SBAs) against meningococcal strains expressing vaccine antigens. We studied persistence of this response and the response to a booster dose of vaccine.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this extension study, SBA titers were evaluated before and after a booster dose of rMenB or 4CMenB at 40 months of age. MenB vaccine naïve age-matched children served as a control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before the booster doses, the proportions of 4CMenB recipients with SBA titers ≥1:4 were 36% (n = 14, 95% confidence interval: 13-65%) for strain 44/76-SL, 100% (77-100%) for 5/99, 14% (2-43%) for NZ98/254 and 79% (49-95%) for M10713. These percentages were 14% to 29% for rMenB recipients (n = 14), except for 5/99 (93%, 66-100%). For controls (n = 40), these proportions were ≤3% for all strains except M10713 (53%, 36-68%). One month after the boosters, ≥93% of 4CMenB recipients had SBA titers ≥1:4 for all 4 strains. For controls receiving their first dose of 4CMenB, 23% (11-39%) had SBA titers ≥1:4 for NZ98/254, compared with 62% to 87% for the remaining strains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bactericidal antibodies wane after infant immunization with rMenB or 4CMenB, but there is an anamnestic response to a booster dose. Booster doses of 4CMenB may be required to maintain immune protection through childhood and adolescence.
authors: From the *Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre; †Centre for Statistics in Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; ‡Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Srl, Siena, Italy; and §Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Inc., Cambridge, MA.
authors: Matthew D
authors: MD
authors: Snape
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Philip
authors: Tessa M
authors: TM
authors: John
authors: Hannah
authors: H
authors: Robinson
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Kelly
authors: Nicoletta
authors: N
authors: Gossger
authors: Ly-Mee
authors: LM
authors: Yu
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Kittel
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Toneatto
authors: Peter M
authors: PM
authors: Dull
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Pollard
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines