Quantitative and qualitative anamnestic immune responses to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children 5 years after vaccination.

BACKGROUND

Administration of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) to HIV-infected children during infancy confers limited long-term protection in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. The objective of the present study was to determine the immune responses to PCV at 5 years of age in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children who had been primed with vaccine during infancy (i.e., previous vaccinees) and in those receiving their first dose of vaccine (i.e., control subjects).

METHODS

Serotype-specific antibodies were quantified by enzyme immunoassay, and antibody functionality to serotypes 6B, 9V, and 19F were evaluated using an opsonophagocytic killing assay 1 month after vaccination.

RESULTS

Of the HIV-infected children, 19.7% were receiving antiretroviral therapy, and 40.5% had a CD4(+) cell percentage <15%. Geometric mean concentrations of antibody and the proportion with a concentration 0.35 microg/mL after vaccination were greater among HIV-uninfected children than among HIV-infected children for both previous vaccinees and control subjects. Antibody concentrations after vaccination were lower for 3 of 7 serotypes among HIV-infected previous vaccinees than among control subjects. Detectable opsonophagocytic activity to all studied serotypes was lower among HIV-infected than among HIV-uninfected previous vaccinees and control subjects. Postvaccination antibody-mediated killing activity as determined by the opsonophagocytic killing assay was enhanced in control subjects compared with previous vaccinees among HIV-uninfected children.

CONCLUSION

HIV-infected vaccinees experience a partial loss of anamnestic responses to PCV. The optimal timing and frequency of booster vaccination as well as the responses to them among HIV-infected children need to be determined.