Antibody response to pneumococcal vaccine in patients with early stage Hodgkin's disease.

Antibody response to pneumococcal vaccination was studied in 76 patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) before, during and at different time intervals after cessation of therapy. All patients were in pathological stage I and II following explorative laparatomy with splenectomy. The increase in antibody response was compared to the findings in 12 healthy volunteers with the aim of establishing the optimal time for vaccination. Serum antibodies against 6 of the pneumococcal polysaccharide antigens (types 1, 4, 7F, 14, 18C and 23F) contained in the vaccine were determined by an ELISA. Antibody response to pneumococcal type antigens was similar in healthy adults and in patients with early stage HD before therapy. After treatment, postvaccination antibody response became negligible. Even up to 7 years after cessation of therapy patients were not able to raise a significant antibody response.