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Research Article
Seroprevalence of Antibodies to Tetanus Toxoid and Diphtheria Toxoid in Perinatally Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) - Infected Children and Adolescents
Author(s): Shahana A. Choudhury* and FazleMatin
Introduction: Although data presented in this study is a few years old, the author believes it is important to review in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to underscore the importance of timely immunization of all children, particularly those who are HIV-infected. Even in the era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), HIVinfected individuals are at a higher risk of complications from vaccine-preventable diseases than the uninfected.
Methods: Anti-diphtheria and anti-tetanus antibodies (correlate of protection: antibody level>0.1 IU/ml) were assessed by ELISA in 29 HIV-infected and 20 uninfected children.
Results: HIV- infected children were significantly more likely to have lower levels of antibody to diphtheria toxic when compared to their uninfected counterparts, in both the four dose (p=0.0.. View more»