Low mumps antibody levels induced by mumps-measles-rubella vaccinations in type 1 diabetic children.

Mumps-measles-rubella vaccination-induced antibody responses were studied in Type 1 diabetic children to find out the possible aberrations in mumps antibody responsiveness previously seen after natural mumps in Type 1 diabetic children. Mumps, measles, and rubella virus antibodies were studied in 364 newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetic subjects, their 240 non-diabetic siblings and 59 age- and sex-matched, unrelated, non-diabetic control subjects who all had received mumps-measles-rubella vaccine but had not had the respective infections. Sera were collected from all children at the time of the diagnosis of diabetes in the index case which was on average 2.5 years after the mumps-measles-rubella vaccination. The levels of IgG class mumps virus antibodies were lower in diabetic patients than in their non-diabetic siblings (p < 0.0005). This difference was most pronounced in males as male patients had significantly lower IgG mumps antibody levels than female patients. Rubella and measles IgG antibodies did not differ between patients and control subjects. The results are in accordance with previous studies suggesting a selective decrease in mumps antibody levels in Type 1 diabetic children. As the exposure to mumps virus had been exactly the same in all study groups, low mumps antibodies in diabetic children suggest decreased responsiveness rather than different number of past infections in these patients.