A case-control study to investigate serological correlates of clinical failure of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in HIV-1-infected Ugandan adults.

We have investigated the association between the concentration of anti-polysaccharide pneumococcal capsule-specific (anti-PS) immunoglobulin G and the killing activity, in serum, in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) events and response to 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected Ugandans. Case patients with IPD had lower concentrations of anti-PS IgG before and after vaccination and before the IPD event (P<.01 for 5 [i.e., 4, 9V, 14, 18C, and 19F] of 6 serotypes assessed). After vaccination, case patients were less likely than were control subjects to develop detectable serum killing activity against the 2 serotypes tested--for 19F, this activity was detected in 16% of case patients versus 37% of control subjects (P=.08); for 23F, it was detected in 11% of case patients versus 40% of control subjects (P=.02). Thus, absolute concentration of anti-PS IgG and an attenuated response to polysaccharide are associated with risk of IPD in HIV-infected adults.