Antibody response to Bordetella pertussis antigens after immunization with American and Canadian whole-cell vaccines.

Because of apparent differences in the incidence and epidemiology of pertussis in the United States and Canada, we measured the antibody response to four Bordetella pertussis antigens and to a whole-bacteria preparation in children immunized with American and Canadian whole-cell pertussis vaccines. All infants received combined pertussis, tetanus, and diphtheria vaccines from one of two American manufacturers or a single Canadian manufacturer. The Canadian children received either oral poliomyelitis vaccine, inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine as a separate injection, or a product that combined inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine with diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis components. The Canadian trivalent diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine given with oral poliovirus vaccine induced lower anti-pertussis toxin antibody titers than did the American vaccines (p < or = to 0.05) but higher antifimbriae and anti-69-kilodalton outer-membrane protein (pertactin) antibody titers (p < or = to 0.02). Canadian children immunized with inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine either as a separate injection or as a combined diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine had consistently lower pertussis antibody titers than did those who received oral poliomyelitis vaccine (p < or = 0.001). We conclude that there is a wide range of antibody responses to B. pertussis antigens after immunization with various whole-cell pertussis vaccines, and that these responses may be influenced by concurrent administration of other vaccines.