KINETICS OF HUMORAL RESPONSE IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA IMMUNIZED WITH INFLUENZA VACCINE IN 1993 IN POLAND

A total of 49 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were immunize d with a purified sub-virion trivalent influenza vaccine (Wyeth-USA) a nd monitored for hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and neuraminidase in hibition (NI) antibodies before vaccination, and then three weeks and six months after vaccination. Results for HI antibodies were evaluated as geometric mean titre (GMT), mean fold antibody increase (MFI), pro tection and response rates and those for NI antibodies as geometric me an titre (GMT) and mean fold antibody increase (MFI). Six months after vaccination GMT for hemagglutinin 1 (HI) was much higher than previou s values. GMT for hemagglutinin 3 (H3) and hemagglutinin B (HE) was lo wer than three weeks after vaccination, but much higher than the origi nal values. In the control group GMT for H1 was on a low level all the time and for H3 and HE it was lower when compared with the original v alues. The proportion of vaccines to antibodies greater than or equal to 40 ranged between 45% and 88%. Six months after vaccination GMT for neuraminidase I (N1) increased when compared with the second sampling ; for neuraminidase 2 (N2) and neuraminidase B (NB) it was slightly lo wer. In the control group GMT for all antigens was on a low level all the time. The results point to a significant seroconversion for both c omponents after vaccination when compared with the control group.