Neonatal and Infantile Immune Responses to Encapsulated Bacteria and Conjugate Vaccines
Open Access
- 23 September 2008
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Hindawi Limited in Journal of Immunology Research
- Vol. 2008, 1-10
- https://doi.org/10.1155/2008/628963
Abstract
Encapsulated bacteria are responsible for the majority of mortality among neonates and infants. The major components on the surface of these bacteria are polysaccharides which are important virulence factors. Immunity against these components protects against disease. However, most of the polysaccharides are thymus-independent (TI)-2 antigens which induce an inadequate immune response in neonates and infants. The mechanisms that are thought to play a role in the unresponsiveness of this age group to TI-2 stimuli will be discussed. The lack of immune response may be overcome by conjugating the polysaccharides to a carrier protein. This transforms bacterial polysaccharides from a TI-2 antigen into a thymus-dependent (TD) antigen, thereby inducing an immune response and immunological memory in neonates and infants. Such conjugated vaccines have been shown to be effective against the most common causes of invasive disease caused by encapsulated bacteria in neonates and children. These and several other approaches in current vaccine development will be discussed.Keywords
This publication has 95 references indexed in Scilit:
- Interaction of SIGNR1 expressed by marginal zone macrophages with marginal zone B cells is essential to early IgM responses against Streptococcus pneumoniaeMolecular Immunology, 2008
- Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Caused by Nonvaccine Serotypes Among Alaska Native Children With High Levels of 7-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine CoverageJama-Journal Of The American Medical Association, 2007
- Immunogenicity, Reactogenicity, and Immune Memory after Primary Vaccination with a Novel Haemophilus influenzae - Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup C Conjugate VaccineClinical and Vaccine Immunology, 2007
- Evaluation of a diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-inactivated poliovirus-Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine given concurrently with meningococcal group C conjugate vaccine at 2, 3 and 4 months of ageArchives of Disease in Childhood, 2007
- Unique efficacy of Toll-like receptor 8 agonists in activating human neonatal antigen-presenting cellsBlood, 2006
- Comparison and Correlation of Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup B Immunologic Assay Results and Human Antibody Responses following Three Doses of the Norwegian Meningococcal Outer Membrane Vesicle Vaccine MenBvacInfection and Immunity, 2006
- Group B Streptococcal Type II and III Conjugate Vaccines: Physicochemical Properties That Influence ImmunogenicityClinical and Vaccine Immunology, 2006
- Advances in Pneumococcal VaccinesDrugs, 2005
- Meningococcal VaccinesDrugs, 1998
- Efficacy ofHaemophilus IinfluenzaeType b Polysaccharide–Diphtheria Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine in InfancyThe New England Journal of Medicine, 1987