Vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis virus tests specific IgG production ability in patients under immunoglobulin substitution therapy

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 28; no. 40; pp. 6621 - 6626
• Main Authors: Seidel, Markus G, Grohmann, Eva, Sadeghi, Kambis, Pollak, Arnold, Heitger, Andreas, Förster-Waldl, Elisabeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 14.09.2010; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Allergy and Immunology; Androgens; Antibodies, Viral - biosynthesis; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antibody deficiency; Applied microbiology; Arachnids; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne - immunology; Encephalitis, Tick-Borne - immunology; Encephalitis, Tick-Borne - prevention & control; Feasibility Studies; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Immunization, Passive; Immunodeficiency syndrome; Immunoglobulin G - biosynthesis; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin substitution/replacement therapy; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes - immunology; Infections; IVIG; Licenses; Male; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Older people; Patients; Phi-X 174; Plasma; Production capacity; SCIG; Stem cells; Tetanus; Tick-borne encephalitis virus; Vaccination in immunodeficiency; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects); Viral Vaccines - immunology; Virology; Young Adult; Immunoglobulin substitution/replacement therapy; Antibody deficiency; Vaccination in immunodeficiency; Phi-X 174; SCIG; Immunodeficiency syndrome; IVIG; Human; Immunopathology; Immunoglobulins; Antibody; Vaccination; IgG; Flavivirus; Immune deficiency; Tick borne encephalitis group virus; Virus; Treatment; Flaviviridae; Tick borne encephalitis virus
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.07.027

Abstract To assess B-cell function in patients under immunoglobulin (IgG)-replacement therapy, the non-licensed artificial bacteriophage (ΦX174)-neo-antigen may be used despite limited availability and experience. Active immunization against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is performed in few European countries. To test the feasibility of using licensed TBE vaccination as (neo-)antigen to determine residual or restored B-cell function in patients under regular IgG substitution, TBE-IgG levels were analyzed in 18 patients with ≥1–2 years of regular intravenous or subcutaneous IgG substitution and in pharmaceutical IgG-preparations ( n = 21 batches, 10 products). Six individuals were boosted against TBE. Although TBE-specific IgG was detectable in concentrates (281–57,100 VieU/0.5 μL), levels were only borderline in patient sera ( n = 31, 18 individuals; median 132 VieU; positive >155). Thus, TBE vaccination may be used to test B-cell function under IgG replacement therapy because IgG substitution appears insufficient to yield protective TBE-specific antibody levels in children.