Immunogenicity and safety of a pentavalent diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, inactivated poliovirus, haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate combination vaccine (pentaxim™) with hepatitis B vaccine.

Objective: To obtain immunogenicity and safety data for a pentavalent combination vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, inactivated poliovirus, Hib polysaccharide-conjugate). Design: Multicenter, open, Phase III clinical study. A DTaP-IPV//PRP~T vaccine (PentaximTM) was given at 6,10,14 weeks of age; and Hepatitis B vaccine at 0,6,14 or at 6,10,14 weeks of age. Immunogenicity assessed 1 month post-3rd dose; safety assessed for 30 minutes by the investigator, then by parents and investigators to 8 days and 30 days post-vaccination. Setting: Tertiary-care hospitals. Participants/patients: 226 healthy Indian infants (6 weeks of age). Main outcome measures: Immunogenicity and safety. Results: Immunogenicity was high for each vaccine antigen, and similar to a historical control study (France) following a 2,3,4 month of age administration schedule. Post-3rd dose, 98.6% of subjects had anti-PRP ³0.15 mg/mL and 90.0% had titers ³1.0 mg/mL; the anti-PRP GMT was 4.1 µg/mL. Seroprotection rates for diphtheria and tetanus (³0.01 IU/mL) were 99.1% and 100%; and 100%,99.1% and 100%, for polio types 1,2 and 3 (³8 [1/dil]) respectively. Anti-polio GMTs were 440.5,458.9, and 1510.7 (1/dil) for types 1,2 and 3 respectively. The vaccine response rates to pertussis antigens (4-fold increase in antibody concentration) were 93.7% for PT and 85.7% for FHA; the 2-fold increase was 97.1% and 92.4%. Vaccine reactogenicity was low with adverse reaction incidence not increasing with subsequent doses. Conclusion: The DTaP-IPV//PRP~T vaccine, given concomitantly with monovalent hepatitis B vaccine, was highly immunogenic at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age in infants in India. The vaccine was well tolerated.

C-reactive protein in childhood meningitides.

Utility of C-reactive protein (CRP) latex agglutination test in meningitis was evaluated. Serum CRP test was positive in 100% cases of meningitic groups and 53% cases of "no meningitis (NM)" group. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) CRP test was positive in 100% cases of pyogenic meningitis, whereas it was negative in 95% cases of tuberculous meningitis and 100% cases of NM group. CSF CRP test showed 100% sensitivity and negative predictive values, 95-100% specificity and 94-100% positive predictive values for various inter-group differentiations. This study concluded that CSF CRP positive cases should be considered as pyogenic meningitis unless proved otherwise. Routine use of this simple, reliable and inexpensive test is recommended for rapid diagnosis and differential diagnosis f meningitis.

Hematological manifestations of congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Nine infants suffering from congenital cytomegalovirus infection were studied for clinical features with special reference to hematological manifestations. The mean age of appearance of first clinical symptom of disease was 14 days and mean age at presentation was 58 days. Significant pallor, thrombocytopenia and evidence of hemolysis were present in 8 (89%), 4 (44%) and 4 (44%) patients respectively out of three bone marrow examination performed, paucity of erythroid and megakaryocytic cells were seen in two. The other clinical features included hepatomegaly in a (100%) splenomegaly in 6 (66%) each, petachial rash in 5 (55%), Hepatitis in 4 (44%) optic atrophy and corneal opacities in one patient each. Two patients died. Remaining patients showed symptomatic improvement without specific therapy.