Comparisons of the effect of naturally acquired maternal pertussis antibodies and antenatal vaccination induced maternal tetanus antibodies on infant's antibody secreting lymphocyte responses and circulating plasma antibody levels

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of infants.¹

Parameters	n = 38
Mother age, y	23.3 (24.5–22.1)
Mother BMI, kg/m^2	23.9 (25.0–22.7)
Birth weight, kg	2.88 (3.01–2.75)
Gestational age, wk	39.4 (39.9–38.9)
Sex, Boys, (%)	50
Delivery by C-section, (%)	50
Hemoglobin at 6 wk, g/dL	11.9 (12.7–11.0)
WAZ-score at 6 wk	−0.92 (−0.62−1.22)
1st vaccination age, wk	6.80 (6.95–6.65)
2nd vaccination age, wk	11.4 (11.6–11.2)
3rd vaccination age, wk	15.9 (16.2–15.6)
ALS assay after 3rd vac., d	9.0 (9.6–8.4)

¹ mean (95% CI).

Figure 1. Tetanus vaccine-specific antibody responses of infants (geometric mean with 95% CI). (A) Plasma anti-TT IgG levels of infants at 6, 15 and 1 y of age, received three doses of DTwP-HepB-Hib combination vaccines at 1 mo interval beginning at 6 wk of age. (B) Antibody secreting lymphocyte (ALS) anti-TT IgG responses at 15 wk of age. (C) Plasma anti-TT IgG levels of infants at 15 wk of age and (D) Plasma anti-TT IgG levels of infants at 1 y of age by pre-vaccination (6 wk) antibody levels. Centiles are based on data from this study population. Specific anti-TT IgG (IU/mL) ranges for centile group at 6 wk were: <25th centile 0.08 – 0.51; 25–75th centile 0.58 – 1.41; >75th centile 1.82–12.2. Dotted horizontal line represents protective plasma anti-TT-IgG level. **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05, ^#p < 0.10.

Figure 2. Positive association between vaccine specific ALS and plasma antibody responses Correlation between vaccine specific ALS anti-IgG at 15 wk of age and vaccine specific plasma anti-IgG at 15 wk and at 1 y of age for tetanus (A-B) and pertussis (C-D) vaccines. Spearman correlation coefficients (r_s) and p-values are indicated.

Table 2. Multivariate linear regression analysis of Tetanus (TT) and Pertussis (PT) specific IgG responses in antibody secreting lymphocyte responses (ALS) at 15 wk and plasma antibody level at 1 y of age, received three doses of pentavalent vaccines (DPT/Hib/HBV) at 1 mointerval beginning at 6 wk of age.

	Anti-TT-IgG (IU/mL), log			Anti-PT-IgG (DU/mL), log
	15 wk ALS	15 wk plasma	1 y plasma	15 wk ALS	15 wk plasma	1 y plasma
			[β (SE), p]
	R^2= 0.230	R^2= 0.215	R^2= 0.113	R^2= 0.533	R^2= 0.356	R^2= 0.170
MOD (1= Nor, 0= C-sec)	0.04 (0.22),0.86	0.11 (0.13),0.43	−0.02 (0.15),0.91	−0.15 (0.13), 0.24	−0.05 (0.05), 0.72	−0.03 (0.07), 0.73
Sex (1= Boys, 0= Girls)	−0.03 (0.22), 0.90	0.03 (0.13), 0.83	0.02 (0.15), 0.88	−0.30 (0.13), 0.03	−0.13 (0.05), 0.03	−0.15 (0.07), 0.04
Birth weight (g)	<0.01 (<0.01), 0.82	<0.01 (<0.01), 0.57	<0.01 (<0.01), 0.43	<0.01 (<0.01), 0.92	<0.01 (<0.01), 0.96	<0.01 (<0.01), 0.73
Gestational Age (wk)	0.07 (0.08), 0.36	0.02 (0.05), 0.67	0.03 (0.05), 0.61	0.02 (0.04), 0.71	−0.02 (0.02), 0.06	−0.03 (0.02), 0.30
Interval of assay (d)^1	−0.10 (0.05), 0.08	0.04 (0.03), 0.27		−0.11 (0.03), 0.01	<0.01 (<0.01), 0.25
Plasma IgG at 6 wk (pre-vac.), log	−0.40 (0.21), 0.06	−0.33 (0.13), 0.01	−0.26 (0.14), 0.08	−0.38 (0.21), 0.08	−0.15 (0.08), 0.59	−0.08 (0.12), 0.52

¹ Days between 3rd dose of pentavalent vaccination and collection of blood at 15 wk of age for ALS and plasma vaccine specific antibody assessment; [β(SE),p], regression slope (β) with standard error (SE), and p-value; MOD, Mode of Delivery; Nor, Normal delivery; C-sec, Cesarean section.

Figure 3. Pertussis vaccine specific antibody responses of infants (geometric mean with 95% CI). (A) Plasma anti-PT IgG levels of infants at 6, 15 and 1 y of age, received three doses of DTwP-HepB-Hib combination vaccines at 1 mo interval beginning at 6 wk of age. (B) Antibody secreting lymphocyte (ALS) anti-PT IgG responses at 15 wk of age. (C) Plasma anti-PT IgG levels of infants at 15 wk of age and (D) Plasma anti-PT IgG levels of infants at 1 y of age by pre-vaccination (6 wk) antibody levels. Centiles are based on data from this study population. Specific anti-PT IgG (DU/mL) ranges for centile group at 6 wk were: <25th centile 0.82 – 4.60; 25–75th centile 5.41 – 9.87; >75th centile 10.1–21.6. Dotted horizontal line represents protective plasma anti-PT-IgG level. **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05, ^#p < 0.10.