Reactivity and immunogenicity of bivalent (AC) and tetravalent (ACW sub(135)Y) meningococcal vaccines containing O-acetyl-negative or O-acetyl-positive group C polysaccharide

• Published in: Infection and immunity Vol. 42; no. 2; pp. 599 - 604
• Main Authors: Vodopija, I, Baklaic, Z, Hauser, P, Roelants, P, Andre, F E, Safary, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.1983
• Subjects: Neisseria meningitidis
• ISSN: 0019-9567

The immunogenicity and the reactivity of two bivalent (AC) and two tetravalent (ACW sub(135)Y) meningococcal vaccines containing either the O-acetyl-positive or the O-acetyl-negative group C polysaccharide were compared in healthy adolescent and adult volunteers. The vaccines contained high-molecular-weight, purified capsular meningococcal polysaccharides and were administered subcutaneously at a dose of 50 mu g for each polysaccharide. Reactivity was low for all vaccines, and the tetravalent vacciens were not significantly more reactive than the bivalent vaccines. Immunogenicity was measured by assay of bactericidal antibodies in pre- and postvaccination sera. Comparison of the antibody response to the O-acetyl-positive and the O-acetyl-negative variants of group C polysaccharide in the bivalent vaccines, as measured by both bactericidal and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, indicates that in adults, the two types of group C polysaccharide are similarly immunogenic.