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Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, October 2009, p. 1521-1523, Vol. 16, No. 10
1071-412X/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00274-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Absence of Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup C-Specific Antibodies during the First Year of Life in The Netherlands: an Age Group at Risk? {triangledown}

Richarda M. de Voer,1,2* Fiona R. M. van der Klis,1 Laetitia E. M. Niers,3 Ger T. Rijkers,3,4 and Guy A. M. Berbers1

Laboratory for Infectious Diseases and Screening, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands,1 Department of Immunology, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands,2 Department of Paediatrics, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands,3 Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands4

Received 3 July 2009/ Returned for modification 23 July 2009/ Accepted 11 August 2009

In The Netherlands, a single meningococcal serogroup C conjugate (MenCC) vaccination is administered to children at the age of 14 months. Here, we report the levels of MenC polysaccharide-specific antibodies in children at birth and at 3, 11, and 12 months of age and the presence of functional antibodies at 11 months of age, before infants receive their MenCC immunization. We observed a rapid decline in polysaccharide-specific antibodies after birth and no induction of naturally elicited polysaccharide-specific antibodies. Furthermore, at 11 months of age, no bactericidal antibodies are observed. These data indicate that these infants may be at risk in the period prior to MenCC immunization, if Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C starts to (re)circulate.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratory for Infectious Diseases and Perinatal Screening, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 1, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands. Phone: 31 30 2742496. Fax: 31 30 2748888. E-mail: Richarda.de.Voer{at}rivm.nl

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 19 August 2009.

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, October 2009, p. 1521-1523, Vol. 16, No. 10
1071-412X/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00274-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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