Long term effects of vaccination of patients deficient in a late complement component with a tetravalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine.

Of 45 Russian patients with late complement component deficiency (LCCD) who experienced one to five meningococcal infections, 31 were immunised with a meningococcal A/C/W135/Y polysaccharide vaccine and were followed for 3-8 years. Total and immunoglobulin (Ig) class specific concentration of antibodies to meningococcal polysaccharides in sera of LCCD patients increased significantly 1 month after vaccination and remained elevated for 3 years. Revaccination of LCCD patients 3 years after the first dose restored the total Ig concentrations to those observed 1 year after the first vaccination.

Antibody-dependent killing of meningococci by human neutrophils in serum of late complement component-deficient patients.

Background: Thirty-one Russian patients with late complement component deficiency (LCCD) who had experienced one to five meningococcal infections were immunized with meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (A + C + W135 + Y) and were followed for 3-8 years. We investigated the potentially protective killing effect of human neutrophils (PMNL) on serogroup A and W135 meningococci.

Methods: Meningococci were incubated in LCCD vaccine sera in the absence or presence of PMNL, and the number of live bacteria (CFU) was determined by plating onto chocolate agar.