Growth of children born to renal transplanted women.

Neonates born to transplanted mothers are exposed to immunosuppressive drugs during gestation and have a higher risk of being born prematurely and small for gestational age than the general population. We have prospectively followed up 27 children born to renal transplanted mothers from a single center and 31 healthy children born at term with adequate weight for gestational age. Comparisons of weight and length measurements were made at birth, 1 month (±0.9), 3 months (±1.0), 6 months (±1.0), 9 months (±1.5), and 12 months (±1.49) of age. There were a high rate of prematurity (51.9%) and neonates small for gestational age (40.7%) in the transplant group. At birth, in the transplant group, 28% of neonates had subnormal z-scores for weight and 40%, low z-scores for length. However, at 6 months of age, no significant differences were noticed in mean weight-for-age z-scores between groups (weight -0.43 vs -0.03; length -0.53 vs -0.08). At 12 months of age, comparable mean length-for-age z-scores were observed in both groups (weight 0.01 vs 0.27; length -0.07 vs 0.26). CONCLUSION: Despite high rates of premature births and neonates small for gestational age in the transplant group, there was a good recovery of growth during the first year.. What is Known: • Children born to renal transplanted mothers are exposed to immunosuppressive drugs during gestation [4]. • They have high risk of premature birth and fetal growth restriction, immune alterations at birth, and risk of hospitalization for infection in the first months of life [5]. What is New: • Despite high rates of premature birth and neonates small for gestational age, these infants had good growth recovery by 1 year of age.

Humoral and cellular immune responses to measles and tetanus: the importance of elapsed time since last exposure and the nature of the antigen.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the cellular and humoral immune response pre- and post-vaccine rechallenge in healthy adults with previous exposure to measles (virus or vaccine) and different time intervals since last tetanus vaccine. METHODS: Humoral immunity was tested by ELISA, and cellular immunity was tested by intracellular interferon gamma detection after in vitro stimulation with antigens. RESULTS: While cellular immunity was comparable among vaccinated individuals and those who had measles, higher antibody levels were found in those who had the disease in the past. Both antibodies and CD4(+) T cell tetanus immune responses depended on elapsed time since last immunization. Following a vaccine booster, an increase in cellular immunity and antibodies was observed to both tetanus and measles. Measles humoral response was much more intense among individuals previously exposed to a wild virus. CONCLUSIONS: In an era when natural boosters are less frequent, an immune surveillance might be necessary to investigate waning immunity as occurs for tetanus.