TO THE EDITOR—Maternal and neonatal tetanus is a significant cause of mortality, estimated to cause 180 000 deaths annually [1]. Since the mid-1970s, tetanus vaccination of pregnant women has been included in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) [2]. Two doses of tetanus toxoid are sufficient to generate an antibody response (immunoglobulin G [IgG] clas...

In the USA, the potency of commercially prepared equine tetanus antitoxin is determined by the method outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 9, Part 113.451. In the current test, commercial equine tetanus antitoxin is tested by a toxin neutralization test in guinea pigs. The in vivo test measures antitoxin content through effectiveness of protection of guinea pigs injected with dilu...

The aim of this study was to assess immunity levels against tetanus in the areas of 26 health centers in Samsun, Antalya, and Diyarbakir in Turkey in 2000 - 2001. The study group consisted of 2,465 healthy subjects aged 6 months old or above, randomly selected from each age group in the area. Of these, a total of 2,094 (85.0%) serum samples were assayed for tetanus antibody; 716 were from Antal...

BACKGROUND In view of waning antitoxin titres over time after the last vaccine dose against diphtheria and tetanus, we determined the immunity levels in adults to identify most susceptible groups for protection in Singapore. METHODS Our study involved residual sera from 3293 adults aged 18-79 who had participated in a national health survey in 2010. IgG antibody levels were determined using c...

BACKGROUND/AIM To assess the immune status against tetanus in relation to self-declared vaccination status among an adult population in Yozgat, Turkey. METHODS Questionnaires and blood specimens were collected from 267 individuals over 18 years of age in Yozgat, Turkey. Antitetanus antibodies were determined quantitatively by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Among the 267 subjects...

OBJECTIVES Tetanus is a vaccine-preventable infectious disease. It is caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. The aim of this study was to investigate tetanus immunity among adult trauma patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study was performed with 267 trauma patients who were admitted to the emergency department of Tepecik Training and Research Hospital in Izmir City, Turkey over a six mo...

Background and Objectives: HIV infected patients are at risk for vaccine-preventable infections such as tetanus and diphtheria (Td). In these patients, these antibodies tend to decline faster. Due to the limited data, this study assessed the seroprevalence of tetanus and diphtheria antibodies in HIV infected patients in Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was carried ou...

Background and Aims: Despite the fact that neonatal tetanus has been eradicated all over the world, it is still a significant health problem in some developing countries. The disease can even result in death. This is a worrying problem but it can easily be prevented by vaccination of the mothers. Vaccinating every pregnant woman with, at least, one dose of tetanus toxoid would be an affordable ...

Using a monoclonal antibody (A2B5), which binds to GQ ganglioside, and tetanus toxin, which binds to GD and GT gangliosides, distinct regions of human and rodent thymic epithelial cells have been identified. The lymphoid elements of the thymus do not bind A2B5 or tetanus toxin. The A2B5 and tetanus toxin-binding cells form a network of thymic epithelial cells throughout the thymic subcapsular c...

1. The proportions of lymphocyte subpopulations (by rosette tests) and the serum antibody levels (using haemagglutination techniques) were estimated in malnourished and well fed Nigerian children before and up to 21 d after immunization with tetanus toxoid or measles virus vaccine. 2. Significantly diminished (P less than 0.01) mean percentage T lymphocyte levels and considerably higher mean pe...