This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by McDonnell, W M Articles by Sheagren, J N Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by McDonnell, W M Articles by Sheagren, J N

Relationship of health-related variables to levels of anti-polyribosylribitol phosphate antibodies in adults.

Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-0244.

ABSTRACT

To identify adults who may be at risk for Haemophilus influenzae type b disease by virtue of low levels of antibody against the H. influenzae b capsule and who may thus benefit from receiving H. influenzae b vaccine, we correlated serum anticapsular antibody levels of 388 adult patients with 26 health-related variables, including 3 personal characteristics, 10 laboratory values, 4 drug use categories, and 8 disease categories. Steroid use was consistently associated with low levels of anticapsular antibody; associations were also found between low antibody levels and both non-Caucasian race and increasing age. However, less than 4% of the antibody variability could be attributed to these factors, and they were not predictive of low antibody levels. Thus, although H. influenzae b infections are seen in adults with predisposing medical conditions, on the basis of the present findings, use of the H. influenzae b vaccine in adults cannot be recommended.