Measles humoral and cell-mediated immunity in children aged 5-10 years after primary measles immunization administered at 6 or 9 months of age

Monday, 26th of October 2015

More nformation can be accessed on http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23300162
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• Abstract

J Infect Dis. 2013 Feb 15;207(4):574-82. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jis719. Epub 2013 Jan 8.

Measles humoral and cell-mediated immunity in children aged 5-10 years after primary measles immunization administered at 6 or 9 months of age.

Gans HA¹ Yasukawa LL Sung P Sullivan B DeHovitz R Audet S Beeler J Arvin AM.

 

Abstract

BACKGROUND:          

Given the high infant measles mortality rate there is interest in whether a measles immunization regimen beginning at <12 months of age provides lasting immunity.

 

METHODS:

Measles-specific immune responses were evaluated in 70 children aged 5-10 years after primary measles vaccine administered at 6 9 or 12 months.

 

RESULTS:

At 5-10 years of age the stimulation index for measles T-cell proliferation was 11.4 (SE 1.3) 10.9 (SE 1.5) and 14.4 (SE 2.1) when the first measles dose was given at 6 9 or 12 months respectively. Neutralizing antibody concentration (geometric mean titer [GMT]) in those immunized at 6 months of age was 125 mIU/mL (95% confidence interval [CI] 42-377) in the presence of passive antibodies (PAs) and 335 mIU/mL (95% CI 211-531) in those without PAs; in those immunized at 9 months GMTs were 186 mIU/mL (95% CI 103-335) and 1080 mIU/mL (95% CI 642-1827) in the presence and absence of PAs respectively. The GMT was 707 mIU/mL (95% CI 456-1095) when vaccine was administered at 12 months (P ≤ .04).

 

CONCLUSIONS:

Measles-specific T-cell responses were sustained at 5-10 years of age regardless of age at time of primary measles immunization. Neutralizing antibody concentrations were lower in cohorts given the first vaccine dose at 6 months of age and in the presence of PAs; however responses could be boosted by subsequent doses. Starting measles vaccination at <12 months of age may be beneficial during measles outbreaks or in endemic areas.