VACCINATION OF PATIENTS DEFICIENT IN A LATE COMPLEMENT COMPONENT WITHTETRAVALENT MENINGOCOCCAL CAPSULAR POLYSACCHARIDE VACCINE

Eighteen patients with late complement component deficiency (LCCD) wer e immunized with meningococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine. The LC CD patients had experienced one-to-five meningococcal infections befor e vaccination, but their immunological and clinical status was normal at the time of immunization. Serum samples from vaccinated complement- sufficient relatives of the LCCD patients and healthy Russian male adu lts were used as controls. Total and immunoglobulin-specific concentra tions of antibodies to group A, C, W135, and Y capsular polysaccharide s were determined by enzyme immunoassay in serum samples taken before and 1-108 weeks after immunization. The individual preimmunization and post-immunization antibody concentrations varied greatly. The median antibody concentrations of the LCCD patients increased significantly a fter vaccination, and were not significantly different from those of t he control groups. The antibody concentrations remained elevated for a t least 1 year after vaccination. The post-immunization antibody conce ntrations correlated with the number of meningococcal infections withi n 10 years before vaccination. In spite of the vaccination two LCCD pa tients experienced a meningococcal disease 9 and 12 months, respective ly, after vaccination.