Flügge Judith, Adegnika Ayôla Akim, Honkpehedji Yabo Josiane, Sandri Thaisa L, Askani Esther, Manouana Gédéon Prince, Massinga Loembe Marguerite, Brückner Sina, Duali Mohamed, Strunk Johannes, Mordmüller Benjamin, Agnandji Selidji Todagbe, Lell Bertrand, Kremsner Peter G, Esen Meral
Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Sites, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
Vaccines (Basel). 2020 Jul 11;8(3):381. doi: 10.3390/vaccines8030381.
Helminth infections are common in sub-Saharan Africa. Besides direct clinical effects, a bias towards a T helper type 2 (Th2) cell immune response is observed. The consequences of parasite infection during pregnancy for the mother and particularly for the fetus and the newborn can be severe and may include impaired immune response during acute infection and vaccination. Here, we present data of immune responses to vaccines given within the expanded program on immunization (EPI) of infants born to helminth infected or non-infected mothers. The study was conducted in Lambaréné and surroundings, Gabon. Maternal helminth infection was diagnosed microscopically using the Kato-Katz method for soil-transmitted helminths (STH), urine filtration for infections and the saponin-based method for filarial infections. Plasma antibody levels to different vaccine antigens were measured in mothers and their offspring by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at different timepoints. We found 42.3% of the mothers to be infected with at least one helminth species. Significantly lower anti-tetanus toxoid immunoglobulin (Ig) G was detected in the cord blood of infants born to helminth infected mothers. Following vaccination, immune responses of the infants to EPI vaccines were similar between the two groups at nine and 12 months. Even though infection with helminths is still common in pregnant women in Gabon, in our setting, there was no evidence seen for a substantial effect on infants' immune responses to vaccines given as part of the EPI.
蠕虫感染在撒哈拉以南非洲地区很常见。除了直接的临床影响外，还观察到偏向于2型辅助性T（Th2）细胞免疫反应。怀孕期间寄生虫感染对母亲尤其是胎儿和新生儿的影响可能很严重，可能包括急性感染和接种疫苗期间免疫反应受损。在此，我们展示了感染或未感染蠕虫的母亲所生婴儿在扩大免疫规划（EPI）中接种疫苗后的免疫反应数据。该研究在加蓬的兰巴雷内及其周边地区进行。通过显微镜检查，使用改良加藤厚涂片法检测土壤传播蠕虫（STH）、尿液过滤法检测 感染以及基于皂苷的方法检测丝虫感染来诊断母亲的蠕虫感染。在不同时间点，通过酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）测量母亲及其后代针对不同疫苗抗原的血浆抗体水平。我们发现42.3%的母亲感染了至少一种蠕虫。在感染蠕虫的母亲所生婴儿的脐带血中检测到抗破伤风类毒素免疫球蛋白（Ig）G显著降低。接种疫苗后，两组婴儿在9个月和12个月时对EPI疫苗的免疫反应相似。尽管加蓬孕妇中蠕虫感染仍然很常见，但在我们的研究中，没有证据表明这对婴儿作为EPI一部分接种疫苗后的免疫反应有实质性影响。
