title: Maternal Helminth Infection Is Associated With Higher Infant Immunoglobulin A Titers to Antigen in Orally Administered Vaccines.
abstract: Many studies have documented lower vaccine efficacy among children in low-income countries, compared with their counterparts in high-income countries. This disparity is especially apparent with respect to oral vaccines such as rotavirus and oral polio vaccines. One potential contributing factor is the presence of maternal antenatal helminth infections, which can modulate the infant's developing immune system.
  
  
  
  Using a multiplex immunoassay, we tested plasma immunoglobulin A (IgA) or immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels specific for antigens in 9 routinely administered childhood vaccines among 1639 children aged approximately 13 months enrolled in the ECUAVIDA (Ecuador Life) birth cohort study in Ecuador. We compared vaccine responses in 712 children of mothers who tested positive for helminth infections in the last trimester of pregnancy to responses in 927 children of mothers without helminth infection.
  
  
  
  Plasma IgA levels specific for antigens in rotavirus vaccine and oral polio vaccine containing poliovirus serotypes 1 and 3 were all significantly higher in children of helminth-infected mothers, compared with children of uninfected mothers. Plasma IgG levels specific for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, rubella, and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine antigens were comparable between the 2 groups.
  
  
  
  Antenatal maternal helminth infections were not associated with reduced antibody responses to infant vaccines, but rather with modestly increased IgA responses to oral vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases.
authors.forename: Carolyn E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Research Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Fay
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigaciones FEPIS, Quinindé
authors.forename: Martha E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Chico
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigaciones FEPIS, Quinindé
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sandoval
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigaciones FEPIS, Quinindé
authors.forename: Maritza G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Vaca
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigaciones FEPIS, Quinindé Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas y Cronicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Nutman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D004484:Ecuador; D005260:Female; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006376:Helminths / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011055:Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000276:immunology*; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; C044237:Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011055:Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines
keywords: IgA; helminth; immunization; maternal; vaccine