ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Minerva Pediatrica 2018 April;70(2):111-6

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4946.16.04564-3

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

IgE anti-Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) antibodies detected in serum of Hib-vaccinated asthmatic and non-asthmatic pediatric patients

Tamar A. SMITH-NOROWITZ ¹ ✉, Tehila A. SAADIA ¹, Natalie BANNIETTIS ¹, Yitzchok M. NOROWITZ ¹, Rauno JOKS ², Margaret R. HAMMERSCHLAG ¹, Helen G. DURKIN ³, Stephan KOHLHOFF ¹

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA; ² Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA; ³ Department of Pathology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA

BACKGROUND: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacterium causes severe illness in infants and children, but has largely been eliminated by introducing a universal Hib conjugate vaccine. While effects of certain vaccinations on atopic disease have been studied, little is known about the relationship between Hib vaccination and diseases of altered immunoglobulin E (IgE) regulation (asthma or atopy). As such, it is necessary to provide more evidence concerning Hib vaccination as a possible risk factor for atopic disease.
METHODS: Total serum IgE and IgE-and IgG-anti-Hib antibody responses were studied in Hib vaccinated asthmatic (N.=14) and non-asthmatic children (N=26) (VaccZyme™ Human Anti Hib Enzyme Immunoassay Kit). Data are reported as mean optical density (OD) values.
RESULTS: We found that: 1) total serum IgE levels were higher in asthmatic compared with non-asthmatic subjects (389±125 vs. 125±129, P<0.001); 2) IgE and IgG anti-Hib antibody responses were similar in both asthmatic and non-asthmatic subjects (0.722±0.279 and 0.681±0.280, respectively; P=0.65; 0.450±0.505 and 0.573±0.779, respectively; P=0.580).
CONCLUSIONS: The universal Hib vaccine antigen did not result in either increased IgE, or IgG anti-Hib antibody responses in asthmatic or non-asthmatics subjects. Thus, in this cohort, no association between Hib vaccination and asthma status was identified.

KEY WORDS: Haemophilus influenzae type b - Immunoglobulin E - Asthma - Child