Recently, the prevalence of Fasciola hepatica in some areas has increased considerably and the availability of a vaccine to protect livestock from infection would represent a major advance in tools available for controlling this disease. To date, most vaccine-target discovery research on this parasite has concentrated on proteomic and transcriptomic approaches whereas little work has been carri...

Bordetella pertussis (Bp) is the etiologic agent of pertussis (whooping cough), a highly communicable infection. Although pertussis is vaccine preventable, in recent years there has been increased incidence, despite high vaccine coverage. Possible reasons for the rise in cases include the following: Bp strain adaptation, waning vaccine immunity, increased surveillance, and improved clinical dia...

Kathleen Maletic Neuzil, MD, MPH*, Justin R. Ortiz, MD, MS** *University of Maryland School of Medicine, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Director, Center for Vaccine Development, Deputy Director, Institute for Global Health, Baltimore, MD, United States; **World Health Organization, Medical Officer, Initiative for Vaccine Research (IVR), Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals (IVB), Famil...

BACKGROUND T cell receptor (TCR) peptide vaccination is a novel approach to treating multiple sclerosis (MS). The low immunogenicity of previous vaccines has hindered the development of TCR peptide vaccination for MS. OBJECTIVE To compare the immunogenicity of intramuscular injections of TCR BV5S2, BV6S5 and BV13S1 CDR2 peptides in incomplete Freunds adjuvant (IFA) with intradermal injections...

BACKGROUND A potential link between the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine and an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been evaluated in several studies, but some of them have substantial methodologic limitations. METHODS The authors conducted a nested case-control study within the General Practice Research Database (GPRD) in the United Kingdom. The authors identified patients who had a...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the potential immunosuppressive role of daclizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against the α chain of the interleukin 2 receptor, in vivo, by comparing immune responses to the 2013 seasonal influenza vaccination between patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) on long-term daclizumab therapy and controls. METHODS Previously defined subpopula...

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) can modulate innate antiviral responses and render tumors more susceptible to oncolytic viruses (OVs); however, their effects on adaptive immunity in this context are largely unknown. Our present study reveals an unexpected property of the HDACi MS-275 that enhances viral vector-induced lymphopenia leading to selective depletion of bystander lymphocytes an...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of yellow fever (YF) immunization on the subsequent multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse risk. DESIGN Self-controlled case series study. SETTING An MS outpatient clinic. PATIENTS Seven patients with clinical relapsing-remitting MS traveling to endemic YF areas who received the YF 17D-204 vaccine were studied. INTERVENTION The YF 17D-204 vaccine. MAIN OUT...

Our patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently inquire about the safety and efficacy of an annual influenza vaccination. Influenza remains a leading cause of mortality in the United States, with an estimated 20,000 deaths or more annually. Approximately 40% of all adults in the United States are vaccinated annually. The necessity of vaccination is particularly compelling for those with MS...

Dear Editor, Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection and varicella vaccination induce VZV-specific antibody and T-cell-mediated immunity. When cell-mediated immunity declines, reactivation of VZV may lead to herpes zoster (HZ)1. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) starting new therapeutic regimens with potential immunosuppressive effect are supposed to be assessed for antibodies against VZV. I...