You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Original article
Antibody response to accelerated Hib immunisation in preterm infants receiving dexamethasone for chronic lung disease

Abstract

AIM To study the effect of dexamethasone on the routine immunisation of preterm infants with chronic lung disease.

METHODS Serum samples were obtained before and after immunisation from an unselected cohort of 59 preterm infants.Haemophilus influenzae antibodies were measured using an ELISA method and differences in the geometric mean values between the two groups of babies analysed.

RESULTS Sixteen infants received no dexamethasone. Before and after immunisation antibody titres for those receiving no dexamethasone were 0.16 and 4.63 mcg IgG/ml. Corresponding values for those receiving dexamethasone were 0.10 and 0.51 mcg IgG/ml, respectively.

CONCLUSION Dexamethasone used in the treatment of chronic lung disease seems to significantly affect the antibody response of preterm infants to immunisation againstHaemophilus influenzae.

  • Hib immunisation
  • chronic lung disease
  • dexamethasone

https://doi.org/10.1136/fn.80.1.F69

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.