Serotype-specific pneumococcal antibody concentrations in children treated for acute leukaemia

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood Vol. 97; no. 1; pp. 46 - 48
• Main Authors: Patel, Soonie R, Bate, Jessica, Borrow, Ray, Heath, Paul T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 01.01.2012; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Acute lymphatic leukemia; Acute lymphocytic leukemia; Adolescent; Antibodies; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer; Care and treatment; Chemotherapy; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Correlation; Disease; Female; General aspects; Guidelines; Health aspects; Health risks; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Infant; Infection; Infectious diseases; Leukemia; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - complications; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - drug therapy; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - immunology; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Morbidity; National Standards; Opportunistic Infections - complications; Opportunistic Infections - immunology; Patients; Pediatrics; Pneumococcal infections; Pneumococcal Infections - complications; Pneumococcal Infections - immunology; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - complications; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - drug therapy; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - immunology; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Science and Society; Serotypes; Serotyping; Staphylococcal infections, streptococcal infections, pneumococcal infections; Statistical Analysis; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Streptococcus pneumoniae - classification; Streptococcus pneumoniae - immunology; Vaccination; Vaccines; Young Adult; United Kingdom > UK; Human; Pediatrics; Typing; Antibody; Acute leukemia; Malignant hemopathy; Concentration; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Infection; Streptococcaceae; Treatment; Streptococcal infection; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Serotype; Child; Pneumococcal infection; Public health; Cancer
• ISSN: 0003-9888; 1468-2044; 1468-2044
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.2009.176271

Children treated for acute leukaemia are at increased risk of infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. The basis for this may include low levels of pneumococcal antibody but this has not been well studied. The authors measured serotype-specific pneumococcal IgG antibody concentrations in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) ≥6 months after completion of standard-dose chemotherapy. Pneumococcal serotype-specific IgG antibody concentrations were low. None of the subjects had protective concentrations against all the heptavalent-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine serotypes. There was no significant difference in antibody concentrations between subjects with ALL and AML (p≥0.05). Children treated for ALL and AML generally have non-protective antibody concentrations against S pneumoniae. There is significant morbidity associated with pneumococcal disease in this patient group and strategies for vaccination are required.