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PubMedDate not supplied

Molecular modeling of hapten structure and relevance to broad specificity immunoassay of sulfonamide antibiotics.

Molecular modeling of hapten structure was used to predict and influence, through appropriate synthetic work, the outcome of an immunization program. Examination of the structures of sulfonamide antibiotics led to the development of a hypothesis and the consequent synthesis of a sulfacetamide-protein immunogen aimed at the generation of broad specificity anti-sulfonamide antibodies. The antisera generated, alongside anti-sulfachlorpyradizine antisera generated at the same time, were characterized for cross-reactions against a range of sulfonamide drugs, and were found to exhibit good but not the desired broad specificity. Discussion is presented as to the reasons for the failure of the hypothesis. Further hypotheses are developed and speculation is made as to the future of molecular modeling in immunochemical research.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Immunity to measles in the Croatian population.

In the frame of measles elimination activities, sera from 1205 Croatian citizens from all parts of the country and of all ages were tested, using Gull Laboratories ELISA, for measles IgG. Equivocal results were found in 50 subjects. Of the remaining 1155 participants, 118 or 10.2% were negative and 1037 or 89.8% positive. The proportion of seronegatives ranged from zero (age groups 41-50, 51 and more) up to 21.4% (1 year of age). As for their distribution into age groups suggested by the European Regional Office of WHO, there were 12.7, 8.9, 9.5 and 8.8% negatives in age groups 1-4, 5-9, 10-14 and 15 + years, respectively. According to these results, only the first two age groups meet WHO criteria, indicating that vaccination coverage higher than the reported 90-94% should be attained if one is to expect measles elimination.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

The burden of severe varicella in Spain, 1995--2000 period.

BACKGROUND: Population-based estimates of hospitalization rates for varicella provide data of the severe and costly end of this disease. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the annual burden of hospitalization due to primary varicella in the 17 Autonomous Regions of Spain. METHODS: Data were obtained from the national surveillance system for hospital data and comprises all hospital discharges for varicella reported during the 1995--2000 period. RESULTS: The overall incidence of hospitalizations was 2.7 per 100,000 persons per year (ranging from 3.2 in Navarra to 1.5 in the Canary Islands). Forty-eight deaths were reported during the period. Each year varicella was responsible for 3017 days of hospitalization in persons < or =10 years of age and 3333 days in persons > 10 years of age. The annual cost of these hospitalizations was 1.2 million and more than 500.000 euros for persons < or =10 years and > 10 years of age, respectively. CONCLUSION: Varicella is associated to a severe morbidity in children, adolescents and adults in Spain. The burden of varicella is likely to be potentially reduced by effective immunization programs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Transgenic plants as factories for biopharmaceuticals.

Plants have considerable potential for the production of biopharmaceutical proteins and peptides because they are easily transformed and provide a cheap source of protein. Several biotechnology companies are now actively developing, field testing, and patenting plant expression systems, while clinical trials are proceeding on the first biopharmaceuticals derived from them. One transgenic plant-derived biopharmaceutical, hirudin, is now being commercially produced in Canada for the first time. Product purification is potentially an expensive process, and various methods are currently being developed to overcome this problem, including oleosin-fusion technology, which allows extraction with oil bodies. In some cases, delivery of a biopharmaceutical product by direct ingestion of the modified plant potentially removes the need for purification. Such biopharmaceuticals and edible vaccines can be stored and distributed as seeds, tubers, or fruits, making immunization programs in developing countries cheaper and potentially easier to administer. Some of the most expensive biopharmaceuticals of restricted availability, such as glucocerebrosidase, could become much cheaper and more plentiful through production in transgenic plants.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1999

Mode of delivery directs the phagocyte functions of infants for the first 6 months of life.

Factors that direct the immune responsiveness of the newborn beyond the immediate post-natal period are not known. We investigated the influence of mode of delivery and type of feeding on the phagocyte activity during the first 6 months of life. Sixty-four healthy infants (34 delivered vaginally and 30 by elective Caesarean section) were studied at birth and at the ages of 2 and 6 months. Phagocyte functions were studied by measuring the chemiluminescence (CL) activity of whole blood and isolated leucocytes and by investigating the expression of phagocyte receptors (FcgammaRI (CD64), FcgammaRII (CD32), FcgammaRIII (CD16), CR1 (CD35), CR3 (CD11b) and FcalphaR (CD89)) on neutrophils, monocytes and eosinophils by using receptor-specific MoAbs and immunofluorescence flow cytometry. Infants born by elective Caesarean section had significantly higher CL activity than those delivered vaginally during the entire 6-month follow up. In addition, infants who received formula feeds had significantly higher CL activity at 6 months of age and higher expression of FcgammaRI-, Fcalpha- and CR3-receptors on neutrophils than infants exclusively breast-fed. We suggest that stress reaction associated with labour influences the phagocytic activity measured in the cord blood but later during infancy the intraluminal antigens, gut microflora and diet, become important determinants in immune programming of human individuals.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Mass vaccination campaigns to eradicate poliomyelitis in Madagascar: oral poliovirus vaccine increased immunity of children who missed routine programme.

To assess the impact of mass vaccination campaigns using oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) in Madagascar, serum neutralizing antibodies and geometrical mean titres (GMTs) to poliovirus were measured among 472 children aged up to 59 months, before and after the mass campaign, regardless of their previous history of routine vaccination. In this study, overall coverage with three routine and two mass campaign OPV doses was 69.9 and 93.4%, respectively. Seroprevalences to all poliovirus types were significantly higher after the mass campaign among the children who were not vaccinated through routine programme: 67.5% vs. 90.2% (P < 0.001) for type 1; 66.7% vs. 95.1% (P < 0.001) for type 2; and 55.3% vs. 82.9% (P < 0.001) for type 3. Geometrical mean titres to all poliovirus types also significantly increased after the mass campaign among the same study group: 34.5 vs. 238.9 (P < 0.001) for type 1; 35.1 vs. 402.6 (P < 0.001) for type 2; and 13.3 vs. 92.6 (P < 0.001) for type 3. Post-mass campaign seroprevalences and GMTs for poliovirus, especially types 1 and 3, among children who received up to two routine and two mass campaign OPV doses were significantly higher than pre-mass campaign seroprevalences among children who received three routine OPV doses. Reasons for lack of adherence to the vaccination programme and the mass campaign are discussed. The findings strongly support the WHO strategy of conducting mass campaign in all endemic countries. However, as the mass campaign strategy now has been discontinued, it is crucial to increase the routine coverage and to improve acute flaccid paralysis surveillance in order to fulfil the goal of poliomyelitis eradication.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1998

A population-based survey of immunization coverage in children aged 2 years and younger in New South Wales.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a population-based baseline of immunization rates in children aged 2 years and younger in New South Wales (NSW) in 1992, permitting more accurate evaluation of the efficacy of current programmes. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based survey of 622 households from areas resident to over 73% of all children aged 4 years and younger in NSW. RESULTS: Of the 322 households with children aged 3-24 months, 212 (66%; confidence interval (CI): 57-75%) were up-to-date with the recommended immunization schedule, 68 (21%; CI: 15-27%) had not commenced any immunization, and 42 (13%; CI: 9-17%) were partially immunised. Ability to read English (odds ratio (OR): 5.43; CI: 2.37-12.44) and receipt of hepatitis B immunization (OR; 2.54; CI: 1.27-5.07%) were highly associated with up-to-date immunization; whilst a history of any illnesses, frequent doctor visits in the past 12 months (OR: 0.47; CI: 0.27-0.85%) and older age (16-24 months) (OR: 0.26; CI: 0.12-0.50%) were less likely to be associated with up-to-date immunization. CONCLUSIONS: In 1992 NSW had low levels of up-to-date immunization. Significantly, one-fifth of NSW families with children aged 3-24 months did not have a record of any immunizations. This could not be explained by delay in commencing immunization. Poor competency in reading English was strongly associated with failure to immunise, suggesting that there had been inadequate targeting of immunization campaigns in non-English-speaking communities.

Child Health Services↗
PubMed2002

Development of pediatric vaccine recommendations and policies.

A significant decrease in each vaccine-preventable disease has occurred since the introduction of the respective immunizations now included in the recommended childhood immunization schedule. The process through which a vaccine must travel from development to approval and implementation is complex. Hurdles include receiving approval from several advisory committees, government agencies, and professional organizations. At each step in the process, data regarding safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy are evaluated continuously and rigorously. Once a vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and incorporated into the recommended childhood immunization schedule, continuing issues include those that deal with supply, safety, effectiveness, and financing. The logistics of development and implementation of pediatric vaccine recommendations and policies are reviewed.

Advisory Committees↗
PubMed2002

[Influence of information campaigns on the vaccination immunity among the population of a small town area - seroepidemiological results of the 'Wittlich Vaccination Study'].

In the course of the three-phase 'Wittlich Vaccination Study' the population immunity against tetanus, diphtheria and poliomyelitis was controlled in all age groups of the regional population. Antibody measuring was done in specific validated enzyme immunoassays and neutralisation tests. After performing several campaigns for training and informing medical staff and the population about vaccinations the effect of these campaigns was checked in an additional control of the population immunity. The part of not or only partially protected participants decreased for tetanus from 36.7 % to 2.8 % and for diphtheria from 61 % to 51 %. The gap in population immunity was reduced for polio virus type 1 from 6.7 % to 3.1 %, for polio virus type 2 from 6.2 % to 2.5 % and for polio virus type 3 from 13.2 % to 3.6 %. The study design can be transferred to regions with comparable structure of their population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

The smallpox vaccine and postvaccinal encephalitis.

Smallpox is one of the deadliest infectious diseases in history. The discovery by Edward Jenner that inoculation with a droplet of pus from a cow with cowpox protected a person from smallpox resulted in the successful vaccination of millions of people. There were, however, complications associated with smallpox vaccination; the most serious complication was postvaccinal encephalitis, which was reported to occur with an incidence of 1 in 110,000 vaccinations and a case-fatality rate of 50%. Before we become complacent with the idea that we will respond to a bioterrorism attack with a mass immunization program for smallpox, it is important to be reminded of the risk and clinical manifestations of postvaccinal encephalitis and the efficacy of antivaccinia gamma-globulin in preventing this complication. The first case of postvaccinal encephalitis as a complication of the Jennerian cowpox inoculation was observed in 1905. A century later, there is no effective therapy.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Epidemiology of invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease in a German city.

This study was done to analyze the epidemiology of invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease in Bochum city area. Forty-eight children with invasive Haemophilus influenzae infections were treated at the University Children's Hospital in Bochum during the study period from January 1971 to June 1992. Clinical manifestations included meningitis (n = 34), epiglottitis (n = 8), pneumonia (n = 2), bacteremia (n = 2), cellulitis (n = 1) and osteomyelitis (n = 1). The overall yearly incidence rate for all invasive Haemophilus influenzae infections was 13 per 100,000 children younger than five years of age, with a marked increase in the last six years. Haemophilus influenzae meningitis showed no significant change during the study period with an overall yearly incidence of 9 per 100,000 children younger than five years. Twenty-eight cases (58%) of all invasive Haemophilus influenzae infections occurred in patients under two years of age and five cases (10%) were younger than six months. Invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease showed no seasonal prevalence. All isolates were susceptible to ampicillin. No deaths occurred, but severe bilateral deafness resulted in one patient with meningitis. Prospective epidemiologic studies are needed to estimate clinical efficacy of the Haemophilus influenzae type b immunization program in Germany.

Bacteremia↗
PubMed2005

Immunogenicity in humans of an edible vaccine for hepatitis B.

A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluated the immunogenicity of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) expressed in potatoes and delivered orally to previously vaccinated individuals. The potatoes accumulated HBsAg at approximately 8.5 microg/g of potato tuber, and doses of 100 g of tuber were administered by ingestion. The correlate of protection for hepatitis B virus, a nonenteric pathogen, is blood serum antibody titers against HBsAg. After volunteers ate uncooked potatoes, serum anti-HBsAg titers increased in 10 of 16 volunteers (62.5%) who ate three doses of potatoes; in 9 of 17 volunteers (52.9%) who ate two doses of transgenic potatoes; and in none of the volunteers who ate nontransgenic potatoes. These results were achieved without the coadministration of a mucosal adjuvant or the need for buffering stomach pH. We conclude that a plant-derived orally delivered vaccine for prevention of hepatitis B virus should be considered as a viable component of a global immunization program.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1978

Genetic dimorphism in influenza viruses: characterization of stably associated hemagglutinin mutants differing in antigenicity and biological properties.

Influenza virus recombinant X-53 produced for use in the 1976 National Immunization Program for swine influenza was found to comprise two types of virions differing in their antigenic, replicative, and plaque-forming characteristics. One type, characteristic of X-53 and designated "L," was relatively low-yielding in chicken embryos, produced small clear plaques in Madin-Darby dog kidney cells, and was selectively inhibited by heterotypic antibody to the A/sw/Cam/39 strain of swine influenza virus. The other, X-53a or "H," was high-yielding in chicken embryos, produced large turbid plaques in dog kidney cells, and was not inhibited by concentrations of A/sw/Cam/39 antisera inhibitory to X-53. It was shown that A/NJ/11/76 (HswN1) virus, from which X-53 was derived, and five other swine influenza virus isolates from humans and pigs were dimorphic mixtures of the two types of virus. Segregation of the hemagglutinin genes of L and H variants by further recombination demonstrated that their different properties were pleiotropic phenotypes of mutation in the hemagglutinin gene. Under selective conditions suppressive to the L mutant, mutation of cloned L to H virus was observed. This observation, as well as the apparent ubiquity of the two mutants in nature, suggests that this is another example of viral dimorphism-the stable association of two allelic mutants. Of special significance is the indication that antigenic variants may be selected by selection for properties other than antigenicity, and therefore may represent mutants with pathogenic effects determined by factors other than lesser modulation by host antibody.

Hemagglutinins, Viral↗
PubMed2000

Persistence of antibodies to the surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus (anti-HBs) in children subjected to the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), including hepatitis-B vaccine, in Thailand.

Will hepatitis-B vaccine administered at birth, and at 2 and 6 months of age, as an integral part of Thailand's Expanded Programme on Immunization, provide long-term protection? In an attempt to answer this question, residents of five provinces (representing five distinct geographical areas of Thailand) who were aged 1-10 years and had received this course of vaccination were enrolled on a serological study. Each was tested, with ELISA, for the surface antigen of hepatitis B (HBsAg) and for antibodies against this antigen (anti-HBs) or against the core antigen (anti-HBc). Over all age-groups, the prevalences of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were 0.67%, 71.4% and 5.5%, respectively. Although the prevalence of anti-HBs decreased with age, it remained at 56%-65% among those aged 6-10 years. Between 2% and 17% of the subjects aged 1-9 years had high titres of anti-HBs. Based on these results, an additional booster, still a controversial issue, does not appear to be required in order to prevent infection with hepatitis B virus and thus permit the eventual eradication of chronic carriage and its fatal sequelae in Thailand.

Child↗
PubMed1980

Arthritis related to rubella: a complication of natural rubella and rubella immunization.

The success of the childhood rubella immunization program has caused an upward shift in age of those susceptible to rubella. An associated increase has taken place in the incidence of rubella-related arthritis, which occurs more often in the post-pubertal population. Fortunately, however, the arthralgia-arthritis syndromes of naturally acquired rubella and those associated with vaccination are usually transient and mild.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

The cost effectiveness of hepatitis immunization for US college students.

Hepatitis B immunization is recommended for all American children, and hepatitis A immunization is recommended for children who live in areas with elevated disease rates. Because hepatitis A and B occur most commonly in young adults, the authors examined the cost effectiveness of college-based vaccination. They developed epidemiologic models to consider infection risks and disease progression and then compared the cost of vaccination with economic, longevity, and quality of life benefits. Immunization of 100,000 students would prevent 1,403 acute cases of hepatitis A, 929 cases of hepatitis B, and 144 cases of chronic hepatitis B. Hepatitis B vaccination would cost the health system $7,600 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained but would reduce societal costs by 6%. Hepatitis A/B vaccination would cost the health system dollar 8,500 per QALY but would reduce societal costs by 12%. Until childhood and adolescent vaccination can produce immune cohorts of young adults, college-based hepatitis immunization can reduce disease transmission in a cost-effective manner.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

An evaluation of the effects of thimerosal on neurodevelopmental disorders reported following DTP and Hib vaccines in comparison to DTPH vaccine in the United States.

Thimerosal is an ethylmercury (49.55% mercury by weight) preservative historically added to some vaccines. Toxicokinetic studies showed children in the United States received doses of mercury from Thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs) in excess of safety guidelines. In the United States during the 1990s, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines (maximally, 50 mug mercury per joint administration) and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-Haemophilus influenzae type b (DTPH) vaccines (25 mug mercury per administration) were given to children in the same childhood vaccination schedule at 2, 4, 6, and 15-18 mo, so that children receiving DTP and Hib vaccines may have maximally received an additional 100 mug more mercury exposure from TCVs than children administered DTPH vaccines. A case-control epidemiological study of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) (online public access version; updated 31 August 2004) following administration of DTP vaccines in comparison DTPH vaccines manufactured by Lederle Laboratories (Pearl River, NY) from 1994 through 1998 was undertaken. Significantly increased odds ratios for autism, speech disorders, mental retardation, infantile spasms, and thinking abnormalities reported to VAERS were found following DTP vaccines in comparison to DTPH vaccines with minimal bias or systematic error. Additional ND research should be undertaken in the context of evaluating mercury-associated exposures, especially since in 2005 the Institute of Medicine issued a report calling into question handling of vaccine safety data by the National Immunization Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bacterial Capsules↗