Responses in children to measles vaccination associated with perirenal transplantation.

Background: Measles infection can be fatal in pediatric patients with chronic renal failure or in patients who have undergone renal transplantation, both of whom are in the immunosuppressed state. The efficacy of single, live measles vaccination in preventing infection was examined.

Methods: Of 156 children with renal failure who underwent renal transplantation, the changes in antibody titer were investigated before and after renal transplantation in 125 children whose measles antibody titer could be examined, together with disease and vaccination histories. Live measles vaccine was administered to 42 children with negative antibody titer. The antibody seroconversion rate was then investigated in these children, along with rate of antibody maintenance and degree of antibody titer elevation.

Results: Seroconversion rate was 97.6%. Antibody titers measured on HI and EIA were 72 +/- 118 fold (HI) and 36.9 +/- 31.3 (EIA), respectively. The geometric mean of the increase in antibody titer 6 months after vaccination was 15. No side-effects of vaccination were observed in any of the children.

Conclusions: Live measles vaccination of children with chronic renal failure is effective and safe, because the seroconversion rate, rate of antibody titer maintenance and degree of antibody titer elevation in children with chronic renal failure were all equivalent to those of healthy children.