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Immune response to conjugated meningococcal C vaccine in pediatric oncology patients
Author(s) -
Yu Joyce W.,
Borkowski Astrid,
Danzig Lisa,
Reiter Stephanie,
Kavan Peter,
Mazer Bruce D.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.21174
Subject(s) - medicine , serology , meningococcal vaccine , titer , vaccination , meningococcal disease , chemotherapy , immunology , cohort , immune system , oncology , antibody , neisseria meningitidis , immunization , biology , bacteria , genetics
Background Following outbreaks of meningococcal disease in Quebec in 1991–1993 and 2000–2001, a mass vaccination campaign was performed. In 2001–2002, children aged 2 months to 20 years were immunized with the Meningococcal CRM197 vaccine (Menjugate™). We examined the response of pediatric oncology patients during or following maintenance chemotherapy and post‐bone‐marrow transplantation to Meningococcal C vaccine. Procedure This was an open label descriptive study of a cohort of patients from the oncology clinic at the Montreal Children's Hospital. A positive vaccine response was defined as a fourfold increase in specific IgG from baseline and a bactericidal assay using human complement (hBCA) titer >1:4. Results Of the 25 patients with ALL, 13 had a serologic response (average 60‐fold increase). The serologic responders had a higher mean B cell count (0.262) compared to non‐responders 0.068 × 10.9/L [ t (23) = 2.843 ( P < 0.05)]. Eleven of the 12 non‐responders and 4 of the responders were on maintenance chemotherapy. In addition, two of the five patients post‐bone‐marrow transplant, responded. Fifteen of the 34 patients (44%) had an adequate hBCA response (mean titer 61). The group included 14/18 serologic responders with hBCA response ( P < 0.001) and 16/17 non‐serologic responders with no hBCA response ( P < 0.001). Conclusions Meningococcal C‐conjugate vaccine produced variable responses in children with common cancers. Proximity to chemotherapy and total B cell number may help predict likelihood of response. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:918–923. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.