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Infection and Immunity, July 2001, p. 4337-4341, Vol. 69, No. 7
Sheffield Institute for Vaccine Studies,
Division of Child Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United
Kingdom
Received 10 January 2001/Returned for modification 23 February
2001/Accepted 24 March 2001
Meningococcal group A+C capsular polysaccharide (PS) conjugate
vaccines may prime for serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) memory responses to
meningococcal capsular PS. It is not known whether these vaccines
induce immunological memory at the mucosal level, which may be
important in reducing nasopharyngeal carriage. Mucosal immune responses
to meningococcal conjugate and PS vaccines in young adults were
investigated. Healthy university students were randomized to receive
either a groups A+C meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MACconj,
n = 100) or a group A+C meningococcal PS vaccine (MACPS, n = 95). One year after the primary
immunization, both groups were randomized again to receive a MACconj or
a MACPS booster vaccination. Saliva samples were collected before and 1 month after the primary and booster vaccinations. Anti-meningococcal A
(MenA) and C (MenC) PS IgA and IgG antibody levels were measured by a
standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. After the primary vaccination, salivary MenA and MenC IgG and MenA IgA concentrations were significantly increased after immunization with both MACconj and
MACPS vaccines, but the salivary Men C IgA level was increased only
after MACPS vaccine (P < 0.01). IgA responses to both
serogroups were greater for MACPS than MACconj vaccine
(P < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were
seen for IgG responses. MenA IgG titers were higher after the MACPS
booster in MACconj-primed subjects than after the MACPS primary
vaccination, suggesting the presence of IgG memory. Antibody responses
to a dose of either MACPS or MACconj were not significantly reduced in
those previously given MACPS compared to the primary responses to those
vaccines. Meningococcal A+C conjugate and PS vaccines induce
significant mucosal responses in young adults. MACconj priming may
induce IgG memory at the mucosal level, which is likely to be a
reflection of an anamnestic serum IgG response. No evidence of mucosal
hyporesponsiveness was observed after MACPS priming in this study.
0019-9567/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.69.7.4337-4341.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Primary and Booster Mucosal Immune Responses to Meningococcal
Group A and C Conjugate and Polysaccharide Vaccines Administered to
University Students in the United Kingdom
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of
Child Health, Children's Hospital, Sheffield S10 2TH. United Kingdom.
Phone: (0044) (0) 114 2717419. Fax: (0044) (0) 114 2752505. E-mail:
q.zhang{at}sheffield.ac.uk.
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