The relationship between concentration of specific antibody at birth and subsequent response to primary immunization
The relationship between concentration of specific antibody at birth and subsequent response to primary immunization
Background and aims: Trans-placentally acquired antibodies can protect infants from infection in the first months of life. However, high concentrations of antibody at birth may impact the infant's own immune response to primary immunization. We examine the relationship between concentration of specific antibody to Bordetella pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), tetanus toxoid and pneumococcal antigens at birth and following primary immunization. Methods: Healthy mother-infant pairs were recruited from a UK maternity unit. Peripheral blood samples were obtained at birth and 4 weeks after primary immunization. Specific antibody concentrations were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Pertussis antibody concentrations >50. IU/ml, Tetanus antibody levels >0.1. IU/ml and Hib antibody levels >0.15. mg/l were regarded as protective. Results: Following primary immunization, 35/36 (97%) infants had specific antibody concentrations associated with protection against Hib, 32/36 (89%) against pertussis and 36/36 (100%) against tetanus. Concentrations of all specific antibodies were significantly higher than at birth (p<0.0001), except anti-tetanus toxoid, p=0.41. However, there was an inverse correlation between infant antibody concentration at birth and fold-increase in antibody concentration post-immunization for tetanus: rs -0.86 (95%CI -0.93 to -0.74), p<0.0001; pneumococcus: rs -0.82 (95% CI -0.91 to -0.67), p<0.0001; pertussis: rs -0.77 (95% CI -0.89 to -0.58), p<0.0001 and Hib: rs -0.66 (95%CI -0.82 to -0.42), p<0.0001. The highest concentrations of specific IgG at birth were associated with lower concentrations post-immunization for tetanus (p=0.009) and pneumococcus (p=0.03). This association was not observed for Hib (p=0.88) or pertussis (p=0.14). Conclusion: Higher antibody concentration at birth appeared to inhibit the response to infant immunization for tetanus and pneumococcus; the effect was less marked for Hib and pertussis. However, the majority of infants achieved high antibody levels post-immunization. This supports maternal immunization, as high levels of maternally derived antibody at birth may not inhibit infants' immunization responses in a clinically relevant manner.
Immune response, Infant, Vaccine
996-1002
Jones, Christine
48229079-8b58-4dcb-8374-d9481fe7b426
Pollock, Louisa
cd4edf18-0ee1-4dd3-986a-9ce4b1782f50
Barnett, Sara M.
39a1021a-012f-45b9-b566-828ab289d273
Battersby, Anna
de5b77a1-9c62-47db-bbee-18afc6d0b173
Kampmann, Beate
4490f5e3-318c-4074-bf69-4a23bd5ec100
12 February 2014
Jones, Christine
48229079-8b58-4dcb-8374-d9481fe7b426
Pollock, Louisa
cd4edf18-0ee1-4dd3-986a-9ce4b1782f50
Barnett, Sara M.
39a1021a-012f-45b9-b566-828ab289d273
Battersby, Anna
de5b77a1-9c62-47db-bbee-18afc6d0b173
Kampmann, Beate
4490f5e3-318c-4074-bf69-4a23bd5ec100
Jones, Christine, Pollock, Louisa, Barnett, Sara M., Battersby, Anna and Kampmann, Beate
(2014)
The relationship between concentration of specific antibody at birth and subsequent response to primary immunization.
Vaccine, 32 (8), .
(doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.11.104).
Abstract
Background and aims: Trans-placentally acquired antibodies can protect infants from infection in the first months of life. However, high concentrations of antibody at birth may impact the infant's own immune response to primary immunization. We examine the relationship between concentration of specific antibody to Bordetella pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), tetanus toxoid and pneumococcal antigens at birth and following primary immunization. Methods: Healthy mother-infant pairs were recruited from a UK maternity unit. Peripheral blood samples were obtained at birth and 4 weeks after primary immunization. Specific antibody concentrations were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Pertussis antibody concentrations >50. IU/ml, Tetanus antibody levels >0.1. IU/ml and Hib antibody levels >0.15. mg/l were regarded as protective. Results: Following primary immunization, 35/36 (97%) infants had specific antibody concentrations associated with protection against Hib, 32/36 (89%) against pertussis and 36/36 (100%) against tetanus. Concentrations of all specific antibodies were significantly higher than at birth (p<0.0001), except anti-tetanus toxoid, p=0.41. However, there was an inverse correlation between infant antibody concentration at birth and fold-increase in antibody concentration post-immunization for tetanus: rs -0.86 (95%CI -0.93 to -0.74), p<0.0001; pneumococcus: rs -0.82 (95% CI -0.91 to -0.67), p<0.0001; pertussis: rs -0.77 (95% CI -0.89 to -0.58), p<0.0001 and Hib: rs -0.66 (95%CI -0.82 to -0.42), p<0.0001. The highest concentrations of specific IgG at birth were associated with lower concentrations post-immunization for tetanus (p=0.009) and pneumococcus (p=0.03). This association was not observed for Hib (p=0.88) or pertussis (p=0.14). Conclusion: Higher antibody concentration at birth appeared to inhibit the response to infant immunization for tetanus and pneumococcus; the effect was less marked for Hib and pertussis. However, the majority of infants achieved high antibody levels post-immunization. This supports maternal immunization, as high levels of maternally derived antibody at birth may not inhibit infants' immunization responses in a clinically relevant manner.
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Accepted/In Press date: 27 November 2013
Published date: 12 February 2014
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
Conflicts of interest : This study was funded by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre. CJ, LP, SMB and AB had no financial relationships with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous 3 years. In the past 2 years BK has acted as a scientific advisor for Pfizer and Novartis and has submitted grant applications for other research in maternal immunization to the Wellcome Trust and MRC, she also holds a Pfizer Investigator Initiated grant for research assessing the impact of pneumococcal vaccination. The authors declare no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
Funding Information:
BK, LP are additionally supported by MRC funding. LP is now supported by a Wellcome Trust Clinical PhD Fellowship.
Funding Information:
The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre based at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London . The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health. The funding body had no role in study design; in the collection, analysis or interpretation of data; in the writing of the report or in the decision to submit the article for publication.
Keywords:
Immune response, Infant, Vaccine
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Local EPrints ID: 474848
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/474848
ISSN: 0264-410X
PURE UUID: ffb0067a-969e-43a2-95ef-ef27864fe19f
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Date deposited: 03 Mar 2023 17:48
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 03:39
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Author:
Louisa Pollock
Author:
Sara M. Barnett
Author:
Anna Battersby
Author:
Beate Kampmann
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