BACKGROUND Oral polio vaccine (OPV) is recommended to be given at birth together with BCG vaccine. While we were conducting two trials including low-birth-weight (LBW) and normal-birth-weight (NBW) infants in Guinea-Bissau, OPV was not available during some periods and therefore some infants did not receive OPV at birth, but only BCG. We investigated the effect of OPV given simultaneously with ...

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) and IL-12 play a critical role in the expression of cell-mediated immunity involved in host defense against intracellular pathogens. Both cytokines are produced by macrophages and act in synergy to induce gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) production by T, B, and natural killer cells. In the present study, we analyzed both cellular and humoral responses upon infection with IL-1...

Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only vaccine approved for prevention of tuberculosis. It has been postulated that serial passage of BCG over the years may have resulted in attenuation of its effectiveness. Because interleukin-12 (IL-12) and oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) containing cytidine phosphate guanosine (CpG) motifs have been shown to enhance Th1 responses in vivo,...

The present study was conducted to evaluate and compare the specific cellular responses of children vaccinated with three different strains of BCG. The study comprised of normal children with normal weight and normal general responses (PHA) to in vitro leukocyte migration inhibition test (LMIT). The three strains of BCG under study were Japan-BCG, Glaxo-BCG and Madras-BCG. One hundred children ...

BCG vaccine drives a strong T helper 1 cellular immunity which is essential for the protection against mycobacteria, however recent studies suggest that BCG vaccination can have non-specific beneficial effects unrelated to tuberculosis. In the present cohort study the development of cytokine profiles following BCG vaccination was investigated. Immune responses to PPD were assessed before vaccin...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of BCG vaccination or revaccination on tuberculin skin test reactivity, in order to guide the correct interpretation of this test in a setting of high neonatal BCG vaccination coverage and an increasing BCG revaccination coverage at school age. METHODS We conducted tuberculin skin testing and BCG scar reading in 1 148 children aged 7-14 years old in the ...

BACKGROUND Adverse reactions induced by BCG vaccination are rare, disseminated mycobacterial BCG infection in particular, which is often fatal and results from impaired immunity. The aim of this study is to determine the nature of the immunodeficiences in patients with disseminated BCG infection in northwest region of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS Through 2 years all infants with BCG adenitis o...

A tuberculosis vaccine candidate consisting of a 72-kDa polyprotein or fusion protein based upon the Mtb32 and Mtb39 antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and designated Mtb72F was tested for its protective capacity as a potential adjunct to the Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine in the mouse and guinea pig models of this disease. Formulation of recombinant Mtb72F (rMtb72F) in an AS02A adjuvant e...