Influence of the Co-Administration of Heptavalent Conjugate Vaccine PCV7-TT on the Immunological Response Elicited by VA-MENGOC-BC® and Heberpenta®-L in Rabbits.

Finlay Vaccine Institute is developing a new heptavalent conjugate vaccine against Streptococcus pneumoniae. As infants are the target population, PCV7-TT will be necessarily co-administered with other vaccines, and then, the interactions represent a concern. The aim of this work is to evaluate the possible immunological interferences in rabbits as animal experimental model. Rabbits were immunized with Heberpenta®-L, VA-MENGOC-BC®, and PCV7-TT. Blood samples were taken fourteen days after final immunization for obtaining sera. Antibody responses to all antigens were evaluated by indirect ELISA. Functional responses against diphtheria and tetanus toxoid were done by in vivo seroneutralization assay. No interference was observed by PCV7-TT over the humoral response against diphtheria toxoid and meningococcal antigens (p > 0.05). A nonstatistically significant reduction (p > 0.05) was observed in the case of the humoral response against Haemophilus influenzae type b oligosaccharide. Concomitant administration of Heberpenta®-L and PCV7-TT increased twice the antibody titers as well as the protective activity against tetanus toxoid, but no statistical differences were found. The co-administration did not induce a reduction in the percent of responders against pneumococcal polysaccharides contained in PCV7-TT vaccine. Concomitant administration of PCV7-TT did not induce interferences over the evaluated antigens of Heberpenta®-L and VA-MENGOC-BC®. Also, no interference was observed on the immune response elicited by PCV7-TT. These preclinical results suggest that PCV7-TT will not result in a serious problem over the immune response elicited by the licensed vaccines Heberpenta®-L and VA-MENGOC-BC®. However, the clinical interference could be strictly studied during clinical trials in infants.

Mejoras en el ensayo de potencia de Bordetella pertussis / Improvements in the potency assay of Bordetella pertussis

La potencia del componente pertussis, presente en la vacuna DPT-vax, se evalúa mediante el ensayo de Kendrick. La cepa recomendada por OMS para este ensayo es Bordetella pertussis 18 323, la cual debe ser conservada de manera que se asegure su viabilidad, pureza y virulencia. Como parte de dicho ensayo debe calcularse la concentración de una suspensión de la cepa, cuya opacidad se compara a simple vista con la 5ta Preparación Internacional de Referencia de Opacidad. Este método es muy inexacto y con frecuencia conduce a errores. En este trabajo se elaboró y caracterizó un lote de siembra de Bordetella. pertussis 18 323; se calculó la concentración de dicha cepa empleando una curva de calibración. El lote se empleó en ocho ensayos de potencia y en los mismos se cumplieron los criterios de validez establecidos(AU)

Potency of pertussis component, present in DPT-vax, is evaluated by Kendrick assay. Strain Bordetella pertussis 18323 is recommended by WHO, which should be stored in a way that ensures its viability, purity and virulence. As part of the assay, the concentration of a strain suspension should be calculated, which opacity is compared at first sight with the Fifth Reference International Preparation of Opacity. This method is very inexact and frequently leads to errors. A seed lot from Bordetella. pertussis 18323 was elaborated and characterized in this study and the concentration of the strain using a calibration curve was calculated. The lot was used in eight potency assays and they complied with established validity criterion(AU)