Level of Maternal IgG Anti-Group B Streptococcus Type III Antibody Correlated with Protection of Neonates against Early-Onset Disease Caused by This Pathogen

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 190; no. 5; pp. 928 - 934
• Main Authors: Lin, Feng-Ying C., Weisman, Leonard E., Azimi, Parvin H., Philips, Joseph B., Clark, Penny, Regan, Joan, Rhoads, George G., Frasch, Carl E., Gray, Barry M., Troendle, James, Brenner, Ruth A., Moyer, Patricia, Clemens, John D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.09.2004; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Age of Onset; Antibodies; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antibodies, Bacterial - immunology; Antibody Specificity; Bacteria; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Female; Fetal Blood - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gestational age; Humans; Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin G - immunology; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Infant, Premature, Diseases - immunology; Infant, Premature, Diseases - prevention & control; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Neonatal diseases; Newborns; Pathogens; Polysaccharides; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - immunology; Preventive medicine; Streptococcal Infections - immunology; Streptococcal Infections - prevention & control; Streptococcus; Streptococcus agalactiae; Streptococcus agalactiae - immunology; Vaccination; Human; Infection; Streptococcaceae; Newborn; Microbiology; Antibody; Streptococcus B; IgG; Bacteria; Micrococcales
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/422756

The present study estimates the level of maternal immunoglobulin (Ig) G anti-group B streptococcus (GBS) type III required to protect neonates against early-onset disease (EOD) caused by this pathogen. Levels of maternal serum IgG anti-GBS type III, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, in 26 case patients (neonates with EOD caused by GBS type III) and 143 matched control subjects (neonates colonized by GBS type III who did not develop EOD) of ⩾34 weeks gestation were compared. The probability of EOD decreased with increasing levels of maternal IgG anti-GBS type III (P = .01). Neonates whose mothers had ⩾10 mg/mL IgG anti-GBS type III had a 91% lower risk for EOD, compared with those whose mothers had levels of <2 µg/mL. A vaccine that induces IgG anti-GBS type III levels of ⩾10 µg/mL in mothers can be predicted to offer a significant degree of protection against EOD caused by this pathogen.