Impaired anti-pneumococcal polysaccharide antibody production and invasive pneumococcal infection following heart transplantation

Int Immunopharmacol. 2006 Dec 20;6(13-14):2027-30. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2006.09.011. Epub 2006 Oct 17.

Abstract

An increased risk of invasive pneumococcal infection has been described among adult heart transplant (HT) recipients. Vaccination has been recommended before HT but the appropriate time for revaccination is not known. In a preliminary analysis of a prospective study involving a cohort of 32 HT recipients receiving daclizumab and triple immunosuppresion therapy, a progressive decline in pneumococcal polysaccharide antibody (anti-PPS) levels was observed during the first year after HT. One of the patients who was found to have a decrease in the levels of anti-PPS developed severe pneumococcal meningitis 20 months after HT. Before HT he had received non-conjugated 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine and showed a normal post-immunization anti-PPS production. The data suggest that long-term immunologic monitoring might be useful to recognize impairment of antibody responses under immunosuppressive therapy in HT.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibody Formation / drug effects*
  • Antibody Formation / immunology
  • Female
  • Heart Transplantation*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunosuppression Therapy / adverse effects
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / adverse effects
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / chemically induced
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / immunology
  • Middle Aged
  • Monitoring, Immunologic
  • Pneumococcal Infections / chemically induced
  • Pneumococcal Infections / immunology*
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines / therapeutic use
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / immunology*
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / immunology*
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / isolation & purification
  • Time Factors
  • Transplantation Conditioning
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial