title: Seroprevalence rate of Poliovirus antibodies among the Healthy and Protein Energy Malnutrition children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the association between Protein energy malnutrition and polio-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies production among children in Gadap Town Karachi, Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparative cross sectional survey conducted at fixed EPI center and Pediatric OPD of a tertiary care hospital Karachi. Children were selected by convenient sampling method during the period from 17 March to 17 May 2013. It was ensured that they must have received more than seven oral polio vaccine doses as eligibility criteria for the study. A total of 170 blood samples were collected and tested for the presence of polio-specific IgG antibodies using Poliomyelitis IgG ELISA Test Kit produced.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant relation was found between PEM and IgG antibodies production OR (P = 0.000). Overall Seroprevalence rate among the study population was 98.8%, PEM group 97.6% and healthy group 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study demonstrated that there is a need to focus on the protein energy malnutrition among the children as an immunization strategy for the 100% seroprevalence rate in all population against polio in Pakistan.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Aliya Nemat, MPH, Baqai Institute of Health Science, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Aliya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yousuf
authors.affiliation: Syed Skindar Ali Shah, Msc Medical Technology, Shahdadpur Institute of Medical Science, Sind, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Skindar Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Syed Shah
authors.affiliation: Dr. Syed Imtiaz Ahmed Jaffery, MPH, Baqai Institute of Health Science, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Imtiaz Ahmed
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Syed Jaffery
authors.affiliation: Dr. Syed Azher Ahmed, PhD (Pathology), Post graduate Program Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Syed Azher
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Dr. M.A. Basit Khan, MPH, Baqai Institute of Health Science, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: M A Basit
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Dr. Mohammad Aslam, FCPS (Community Medicine), Baqai Institute of Health Science, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aslam
keywords: IGg antibodies; Malnutrition; Polio; Protein energy malnutrition