Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine provides early protective antibody responses in children after related and unrelated allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Blood. 2007 Mar 15;109(6):2322-6. doi: 10.1182/blood-2006-06-032284. Epub 2006 Nov 7.

Abstract

Following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT), children are at risk of life-threatening pneumococcal infections. Whereas vaccination with polysaccharide vaccines fails to elicit protective immunity in most alloHSC transplant recipients, pneumococcal conjugate vaccines may effectively prevent invasive disease by eliciting T-cell-dependent antibody responses. Here, we report safety and immunogenicity in 53 children immunized with a regimen of 3 consecutive doses of a heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (7vPCV) in monthly intervals starting 6 to 9 months after alloHSCT. Immunization was well tolerated with no vaccine-related serious adverse events. Serologic response rates evaluable in 43 patients ranged from 41.9% to 86.0% and 58.1% to 93.0% after 2 and 3 vaccinations, respectively, with 55.8% and 74.4% of patients achieving protective antibody levels to all 7 vaccine serotypes. Our study provides the first evidence that vaccination with 7vPCV is safe and elicits protective antipneumococcal antibody responses in pediatric recipients of related or unrelated donor alloHSC transplants within the first year following transplantation. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00169728.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antibody Formation / immunology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* / adverse effects
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Pneumococcal Infections / immunology*
  • Pneumococcal Infections / prevention & control*
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines / immunology*
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / immunology*
  • Time Factors
  • Transplantation, Homologous

Substances

  • Pneumococcal Vaccines

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00169728