This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Inostroza, J. Articles by Sorensen, R. U. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Inostroza, J. Articles by Sorensen, R. U.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, June 2005, p. 722-726, Vol. 12, No. 6
1071-412X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CDLI.12.6.722-726.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effects of Absorption with Pneumococcal Type 22F Polysaccharide on Maternal, Cord Blood, and Infant Immunoglobulin G Antipneumococcal Polysaccharide Antibodies

Immunology Laboratory, Hospital Dr. Hernan Henriquez A.,¹ Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, Chile,² Tulane University Health Sciences Center, School of Public Health,³ Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Department of Pediatrics, New Orleans, Louisiana⁴

Received 21 January 2005/ Returned for modification 3 February 2005/ Accepted 11 March 2005

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of absorption with pneumococcal type 22F polysaccharide on antipneumococcal antibody titers in unimmunized Chilean pregnant women and on antibodies in their offspring at birth and 3, 6, and 12 months of age. Sera from 10 healthy pregnant women and from their offspring at birth and at 3, 6, and 12 months of age were studied. Immunoglobulin G antibodies against serotypes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6B, 9V, 14, 18, 19F, and 23F were measured by a standardized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. All sera were absorbed with polysaccharide C, and aliquots of each serum were absorbed with polysaccharide 22F. Individual results were expressed in µg/ml based on the standard serum pool 89-SF. Absorption with polysaccharide 22F reduced antibody concentrations in all samples and to all 10 serotypes studied. Reduction was highest in maternal sera and in cord blood, but it was also present at 3, 6, and 12 months of age. The percent reduction ranged from 24% for serotype 14 to 50% for serotype 1 in maternal samples and from 20% for serotype 18C to 49% for serotype 4 in cord blood samples. The percentages of transplacental transmission were similar for nonabsorbed and absorbed maternal fetal pairs. Absorption with serotype 22F had a significant impact on antipneumococcal antibody concentrations in unimmunized pregnant women and in their offspring. Our results suggest that absorption with 22F polysaccharide needs to be performed in studies of transplacental transmission of antipneumococcal antibodies.