Antilipopolysaccharide II: an antibody protective against fatal melioidosis.

This was a study of IgG antibody responses to two S-type lipopolysaccharides (LPS I and LPS II) and flagellin of Burkholderia pseudomallei in patients with melioidosis. The specificity of these antibodies was 91.7%, 90.3%, and 93.8%, respectively, when compared to responses in a population where the organism is not endemic. Only the level of antibody to LPS II (anti-LPS II) was significantly higher in patients who survived than in those who died, as well as in patients with nonsepticemic vs. septicemic melioidosis. Results of logistic regression analysis, controlled for confounding factors such as duration of illness before treatment and bacteremic status, confirmed that a high level of anti-LPS II was a significant factor protective against fatal melioidosis. Thus, LPS II of B. pseudomallei would be a potentially useful component of a vaccine developed against fatal melioidosis. Further studies are in progress to determine the level of this antibody among those with asymptomatic infection in areas where melioidosis is endemic.

Serum immunoglobulin levels before and after hepatitis B vaccinations.

Our study has shown that there was no change in the amount of immunoglobulin, immunoglobulin G, M, A after the first, second and third injection, compared to pre-vaccination, but the amount of specific antibody (anti-HBs) increased statistically as shown in another report of the same group of subjects which was more than 40 IU/L. So, prevention of hepatitis B viral infection should be done by vaccination with a specific vaccine. A specific hepatitis B immunoglobulin is necessary for anyone in Thailand who is accidentally injected with hepatitis B virus since the Thai population is at high risk for hepatitis B infection, approximately 7-15 per cent. Prevalence surveys have shown that the average HBsAg carrier rate in the Thai population ranges between 7-15 per cent. There are no significant variations in HBsAg carriers among different geographical areas. It is necessary for everyone, especially hospital personnel, children and the family of HBsAg carriers to have hepatitis B vaccination.