© 1999 by Oxford University Press
Evaluation of serum levels of IgG subclasses and anti-ribosyl-ribitolphosphate IgG and IgG2 in children with Haemophilus infleunzae b meningitis
Z Disciplina de Infectologia pediátrica, ZZZ Departamento de Pediatria and ZZ Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas III, Universidade de São Paulo, 04025-002 São Paulo, SP, Brasil A1 Disciplina de Infectologia Pediátrica, Escola Paulista de Medicina-Universidade Federal de São Paulo, rua Loefgreen 1998, 04040-003 São Paulo, SP, Brasil. E-mail: rkmiyake@originet.com.br
In 40 children with Haemophilus influenzae b (Hib) meningitis, we determined serum levels (mg/dl) of IgG subclasses using the radial immunodiffusion method; 67.8 per cent of these children were less than 24 months old. In 14 children of the sample we measured serum IgG and IgG2 anti-ribosyl-ribitolphosphate (anti-PRP) (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA) in the acute and convalescent phases of the disease. Lower IgG2 levels than those of the control group were obtained in all age ranges: 3-12 months, 1-2 years (p <0.01), and 2-5 years (p <0.001). IgG4 was also present in lower levels in patients of all age ranges (p <0.05, p <0.001, and p <0.01 respectively). Serum levels of IgG anti-PRP and IgG2 anti-PRP measured were very low in the acute phase of the disease in all age ranges and there was no notable increase in levels during the convalescent phase of the disease. This result indicates that children less than 24 months old do not produce sufficient levels of IgG and IgG2 anti-PRP even after Hib meningitis.