Primary vaccination and revaccination of young adults with BCG: A study using immunological markers

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases Vol. 39; no. 9; pp. 792 - 798
• Main Authors: Fjällbrant, Harald, Ridell, Malin, Olof Larsson, Lars
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Informa UK Ltd 2007; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adult; Bacterial diseases; BCG Vaccine - administration & dosage; BCG Vaccine - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Female; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Immunization, Secondary; Infectious diseases; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; Interferon-gamma - blood; Interferon-gamma - immunology; Interleukins - biosynthesis; Interleukins - blood; Interleukins - immunology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; Male; MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES; Medical sciences; MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP; Mycobacterium; Th1 Cells - immunology; Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infections; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - blood; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - immunology; Human; Vaccination; BCG; Th1 lymphocyte; Exploration; Mycobacterial infection; Prevention; Infection; Immunoprophylaxis; Tuberculosis; Young adult; Bacteriosis; Skin test; Interferon gamma
• ISSN: 0036-5548; 1651-1980
• DOI: 10.1080/00365540701367777

Questions have been raised about the effectiveness of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination against tuberculosis (TB) in adults. We therefore analysed the immune response after BCG vaccination in primary-vaccinated and revaccinated young adults. 31 tuberculin skin test (TST) negative healthy students were BCG-vaccinated; 15 were primary-vaccinated and 16 revaccinated. Tuberculin-induced lymphocyte transformation (LT) and cytokine production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were studied before BCG vaccination, as well as after 2 months and 1 y. In the primary-vaccinated as well as the revaccinated group the LT response increased after 2 months and remained significantly higher than baseline values after 1 y. In both groups the interferon-gamma (IFN- ) levels increased significantly after 2 months and the increase was maintained after 1 y. LT increased more in the revaccinated group than in the primary-vaccinated group, while the increase in IFN- response did not differ between the 2 groups. Both primary vaccination and revaccination of TST negative young adults caused a significant increase in the T-helper 1-type immune response, suggesting a protective effect against TB. The present in vitro results thus support the policy in several low-endemic countries of primary vaccination as well as revaccination of young adults at risk of TB exposure.