IMMUNIZATION AND IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO NEUMO COCCAL VACCINATION

The aim of this work was to define antibody levels against four neumoc occal serotypes, before and after neumococcal vaccination in patients with respiratory infections. Fifty one patients were studied, 19 child ren from 1 to 5 years old, children from 6 to 18 years old and 22 adul ts from 27 to 65 years old. IgG anti-neumococcal, antibodies, against serotypes 3, 7F, 9N and 14 were measured using an enzyme immunoassay, before and four weeks after vaccination. There was a significant incre ase in antibody titers against all serotypes in subjects older 7 years . In children of less than 6 years, the response to serotype 14 was no n significant. The intensity of response differed according to the stu died serotype and the percentage of patients that responded to each se rotype increased with age. Five patients older than 18 years were iden tified as non responders to all four serotypes. It is concluded that n eumococcal vaccine increases anti-neumococcal antibodies in patients w ith recurrent infections and allows the identification of patients wit h specific antibody deficiency syndromes and normal total immunoglobul in levels.