BACKGROUND: Pneumococcal infections are a common cause of morbidity and mortality among elderly people. Protection against pneumococcal infections is mediated by serotype-specific antibodies to capsular polysaccharides. To obtain an estimate of anti-pneumococcal immunity, prevalence and levels of pneumococcal antibodies were studied in an unvaccinated elderly population. METHODS: IgG antibodies to pneumococcal serotypes 3, 6A, and B and to cell wall polysaccharide (C-PS, a common antigen to all pneumococci) were measured by enzyme immuno-assay in 480 subjects aged 64-97 years (206 men, 274 women) who were a random sample (41%) of elderly inhabitants in a semirural community in Finland. RESULTS: An average of 10% of the elderly lacked antibodies to serotypes 3, 6A, and 8, and 62% of the elderly had them in low titres only. Anti-C-PS antibodies were found in 99% of the elderly, and in significantly higher titres than anti-capsular antibodies. Antibody titres to C-PS and to type 6A decreased with age. Elderly women had significantly lower antibody levels than men. Among the men, current smokers had higher antibody titres than non-smokers; in the women, this analysis was not possible because of infrequent history of smoking. The effect of smoking on antibody titres was reversible after cessation of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable proportion of the elderly lacked protective antibodies to commonly infecting pneumococcal serotypes 3, 6A, and 8. Smoking increased the prevalence and levels of pneumococcal antibodies probably as a consequence of numerous respiratory infections. These observations emphasize the importance of administration of the pneumococcal vaccine among the elderly.
BACKGROUND:Pneumococcal infections are a common cause of morbidity and mortality among elderly people. Protection against pneumococcal infections is mediated by serotype-specific antibodies to capsular polysaccharides. To obtain an estimate of anti-pneumococcal immunity, prevalence and levels of pneumococcal antibodies were studied in an unvaccinated elderly population. METHODS: IgG antibodies to pneumococcal serotypes 3, 6A, and B and to cell wall polysaccharide (C-PS, a common antigen to all pneumococci) were measured by enzyme immuno-assay in 480 subjects aged 64-97 years (206 men, 274 women) who were a random sample (41%) of elderly inhabitants in a semirural community in Finland. RESULTS: An average of 10% of the elderly lacked antibodies to serotypes 3, 6A, and 8, and 62% of the elderly had them in low titres only. Anti-C-PS antibodies were found in 99% of the elderly, and in significantly higher titres than anti-capsular antibodies. Antibody titres to C-PS and to type 6A decreased with age. Elderly women had significantly lower antibody levels than men. Among the men, current smokers had higher antibody titres than non-smokers; in the women, this analysis was not possible because of infrequent history of smoking. The effect of smoking on antibody titres was reversible after cessation of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable proportion of the elderly lacked protective antibodies to commonly infecting pneumococcal serotypes 3, 6A, and 8. Smoking increased the prevalence and levels of pneumococcal antibodies probably as a consequence of numerous respiratory infections. These observations emphasize the importance of administration of the pneumococcal vaccine among the elderly.
Authors: Chen Wang; Yi Liu; Lan T Xu; Katherine J L Jackson; Krishna M Roskin; Tho D Pham; Jonathan Laserson; Eleanor L Marshall; Katie Seo; Ji-Yeun Lee; David Furman; Daphne Koller; Cornelia L Dekker; Mark M Davis; Andrew Z Fire; Scott D Boyd Journal: J Immunol Date: 2013-12-11 Impact factor: 5.422
Authors: Debby Bogaert; Paul van der Valk; Reshmi Ramdin; Marcel Sluijter; Evelyn Monninkhof; Ron Hendrix; Ronald de Groot; Peter W M Hermans Journal: Infect Immun Date: 2004-02 Impact factor: 3.441
Authors: Michael B Steinberg; Ayse Akincigil; Eun Jung Kim; Rory Shallis; Cristine D Delnevo Journal: Am J Prev Med Date: 2015-12-15 Impact factor: 5.043