Transplacental transfer of measles and total IgG

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate factors affecting the levels of total IgG (tIgG) and measles specific IgG (mIgG) in mother and cord sera, and the efficiency of transplacental transport of tIgG and mIgG. The study was conducted in four hospitals in Oporto, Portugal, where 1539 women and their newborns were enrolled. Measles IgG levels were lower among vaccinated mothers and respective cord sera than among vaccinated counterparts. Cord mIgG was strongly correlated with maternal levels in both vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. Transplacental transport efficiency (TTE) of mIgG decreased with increasing maternal levels, although almost one third of the observed effect was due to measurement error. The TTE was not affected by vaccination status. Monitoring maternal measles antibody levels and maternal vaccination status could be useful to determine when the age for measles vaccination can be reduced.

Placental transfer of naturally acquired, maternal cytomegalovirus antibodies in term and preterm neonates

“…Few studies have measured the placental transfer of specific antibodies to preterm infants. With few exceptions [Linder et al, 1998;Wesumperuma et al, 1999], the specific antibody levels detected in preterm infants were significantly lower than those in term infants [Christensen et al, 1984;Linder et al, 1998;Gonçalves et al, 1999;Ozbek et al, 1999;Costa-Carvalho et al, 1999], as also seen in the present study. Ozbek et al [1999], studying passive immunity against measles at different gestational age intervals, demonstrated a higher transfer ratio than the total CMV IgG ratio found here (82% vs. 57%, respectively) for less than 32 weeks of gestational age, whereas similar ratios were found for gestational ages above 32 weeks (approximately 85%).…”

“…Various data suggest that the influence of gestational age on the efficiency of antibody transport may vary according to the antigen tested and to the characteristics of the antibody against a given antigen. In this regard, viral antibody concentrations in preterm infants are lower than [Linder et al, 1998;Gonçalves et al, 1999;Ozbek et al, 1999] or similar to [Linder et al, 1997;Wesumperuma et al, 1999] those in term infants.…”

“…Similarly, there is a positive correlation between the levels of specific antibodies in the newborn infant and the mother [Toivanen et al, 1968]. Recent studies evaluating the transfer pattern of different specific antibody types from the mother to the neonate, however, have demonstrated that efficiency of placental transfer of different antibody types may vary according to antibody specificity [Gonçalves et al, 1999] and in different populations [Wesumperuma et al, 1999]. Such differences have been attributed to variation in the production of IgG subclasses [Costa-Carvalho et al, 1996] in response to specific antigens and in the affinity of these IgG subclasses for Fc receptors [Simister and Story, 1997].…”

Prevalence of anti-rubella, anti-measles and anti-mumps IgG antibodies in neonates and pregnant women in Catalonia (Spain) in 2013: susceptibility to measles increased from 2003 to 2013

“…Since immunity to measles had been acquired through measles vaccinations in women aged <35 years but by natural infection in women aged ≥35 years, these results can be explained by the increased immunity against measles viruses in naturally immune women than in vaccinated women [21,[24][25][26][27]. Leuridan et al [24] found, in the United Kingdom in 2008, that vaccinated women had significantly lower IgG titres than naturally immune women (779 mIU/ml vs. 2, 687 mIU/ml, p<0.001) and that the neonates of vaccinated women also had significantly lower IgG titres than the neonates of naturally immune women (698 mIU/ml vs. 2,221 mIU/ml, p<0.001).…”

“…This result can be explained by three factors: (1) greater proportion of neonates of vaccinated women in 2013 than in 2003; (2) waning vaccine-induced immunity for measles antibodies; and (3) lower circulation of wild measles viruses after 1980. Several studies have shown that neonates of vaccinated women have lower protective immunity levels against measles than neonates of naturally infected women [21,[24][25][26][27], and that vaccine-induced measles antibodies wane with time [23]. Consequently, the higher proportion of neonates of vaccinated women and the lower proportion of naturally immunised women in 2013 than in 2003 has generated a lower prevalence of neonates protected against measles in 2013 than in 2003.…”