Clinical and vaccine immunology : CVI
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Clin. Vaccine Immunol. · Feb 2008
Vaccination against Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia in immunocompromised mice.
Immunocompromised patients are highly susceptible to infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our laboratory previously showed that intranasal administration of an attenuated Salmonella strain expressing the P. aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide O antigen was effective in clearing bacteria and preventing mortality in wild-type mice after intranasal challenge. We were interested in investigating the efficacy of this vaccine strategy in immunocompromised mice. ⋯ Although the treatments had no effect on antibody titers, this level of protection was still lower than that seen in untreated vaccinated mice. Administration of antibodies directly to the site of infection at the time of bacterial delivery prolonged survival and lowered bacterial loads in the immunocompromised mice. These results demonstrate the importance of white blood cells while still suggesting a critical role for antibodies in protection against P. aeruginosa infection.
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Clin. Vaccine Immunol. · Feb 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyA double-blind, randomized, controlled, multicenter safety and immunogenicity study of a refrigerator-stable formulation of Zostavax.
The vaccine Zostavax has been shown to prevent herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia and is recommended for individuals > or =60 years of age. This study compared the safety and the immunogenicity of a refrigerator-stable formulation (Zostavax refrigerated) with those of the current formulation (Zostavax frozen) in subjects > or =50 years of age. Subjects with a negative history for HZ were randomized 1:1 to receive one dose of either formulation. ⋯ The frequencies of injection-site AEs during follow-up were 35.6% and 46.4% in the refrigerated and the frozen formulation groups, respectively, and were generally mild. The frequencies of systemic AEs were similar in the two groups, and those of vaccine-related AEs were approximately 6% in both groups. The refrigerator-stable formulation of Zostavax has an acceptable safety profile and is as immunogenic as the frozen formulation; thus, the vaccine may be used in clinical settings where freezer availability is limited.