Influence of age on the response to Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine in patients with recurrent infections and normal immunoglobulin concentrations☆,☆☆,★,★★
Section snippets
Patient population
Patients referred to our allergy/immunology clinic for recurrent infections are evaluated according to a standard protocol, which includes a detailed history of infections, antibiotic use, and a laboratory evaluation, including immunoglobulin and IgG subclass determinations and the measurement of specific antibodies to pneumococcal polysaccharides. All patients evaluated between 1995 and 1997 who did not have immunoglobulin, IgG subclass, or other known primary or secondary immunodeficiency
RESULTS
A total of 113 patients fulfilling the criteria for inclusion in this analysis were divided into the following age groups: (1) under 2 years old (n = 14), (2) 2 to 5 years old (n = 44), (3) 6 to 10 years old (n = 25), (4) 11 to 16 years old (n = 10), and (5) adults (n = 20; 10 with recurrent infections and 10 healthy adults).
In patients with recurrent respiratory infections, the geometric means for preimmunization and postimmunization pneumococcal antibody titers for all serotypes increased
DISCUSSION
Current recommendations for the use of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine are designed to protect against pneumonia and invasive disease in individuals at risk.10 The indications for the use of the vaccine in our clinic are based on the importance of S. pneumoniae as the cause for otitis media and sinusitis, as well as on the emerging antibiotic resistance of several pneumococcal serotypes. Pneumococci cause 20% to 40% of otitis media11 and variable percentages of sinusitis. It has been
Acknowledgements
We thank Ms. Sally Sorensen for expert technical assistance.
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Cited by (0)
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From athe Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans; and bthe Children’s Hospital of New Orleans.
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Supported in part by an unrestricted grant from Lederle-Praxis Biologicals.
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Reprint requests: Ricardo U. Sorensen, MD, Department of Pediatrics, LSU Medical Center, 1542 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70112-2822.
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