Specific T and B cell immunity to measles after allogeneic and autologous bone marrow transplantation.

Lymphocyte stimulation with measles virus antigen (MLY) and ELISA for measles IgG antibodies were performed on 60 patients after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), and on 59 patients after autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). The T cell response was significantly higher in the 75 measles seropositive patients than in the 29 seronegative patients (P < 0.001), but not significantly different from the MLY in the 15 patients with uncertain serologic reactivity. When the patient group was divided according to type of transplant, the T cell response to measles was also significantly higher in seropositive patients than in seronegative patients after both ABMT (P < 0.001) and after BMT (P < 0.05). Twenty-three seronegative children who were measles vaccinated after BMT had a significantly higher T cell response to measles (7100 c.p.m.) than 17 seronegative non-vaccinated children (100 c.p.m.; P < 0.01). No significant difference was seen in the T cell response in 12 seronegative children vaccinated after ABMT (2500 c.p.m.) compared to seven children not vaccinated (2800 c.p.m.; NS). Seroconversion after vaccination was more frequent in children after BMT (20/23; 87%) compared to ABMT (5/12; 42%; P < 0.05) but no significant difference was found in the T cell response. Therefore, most patients who lost IgG antibodies to measles after bone marrow transplantation also lost their T cell response to measles. A T cell response to measles developed in most patients who seroconverted after vaccination. Failure to develop antibodies to measles in ABMT patients after revaccination may depend on a persisting T cell immunity.