The diphtheria epidemic in eastern Europe and the worldwide increase in diphtheria morbidity have sparked discussion on whether people in western Europe are adequately protected. 2 In western Europe, the effectiveness of long term protection afforded by immunisation programmes is under debate. In Belgium, the national immunisation programme against diphtheria was introduced in 1959. Vaccination...

The binding and uptake of fluorescently labeled diphtheria toxin by cells in culture has been examined by using epifluorescence video intensification microscopy. Rhodamine-labeled diphtheria toxin retained significant toxicity on bioassay and in cell culture and was tested for uptake by human WI-38 and mouse 3T3 fibroblasts grown in culture. When added to cells at 37 degrees C, toxin was observ...

In Canada, the fifth dose of the routine childhood immunization schedule against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio is given at 4-6 years of age. Up to 30% of children may have significant local reactions (redness, swelling) and this may be related to pertussis and diphtheria antigen content. We sought to determine if a combination product with lower content of pertussis and diphtheria to...

A method for the screening of tetanus and diphtheria antibodies in serum using anatoxin (inactivated toxin) instead of toxin was developed as an alternative to the in vivo toxin neutralization assay based on the toxin-binding inhibition test (TOBI test). In this study, the serum titers (values between 1.0 and 19.5 IU) measured by a modified TOBI test (Modi-TOBI test) and toxin neutralization as...

Inhibition of protein synthesis in Vero cells was measured at different periods of time after treatment with diphtheria toxin and the related plant toxin modeccin. Diphtheria toxin acted much more rapidly than modeccin. Cells were protected against both toxins with antiserum as well as with agents like NH4Cl, procaine, and the ionophores monensin, FCCP, and CCCP, which increase the pH of intrac...

Tetanus and diphtheria vaccines are of special concern in adolescents because boosters are necessary for adequate maintenance of protection and are often omitted. We assessed serum levels of tetanus and diphtheria antibodies in adolescents and their association with vaccination status. From May to October 2001, we evaluated the vaccination records of 208 adolescents aged 10 to 20 years in São P...

Diphtheria toxoid, the principle component of diphtheria vaccines, is prepared by inactivating diphtheria toxin with formaldehyde and glycine. The treatment introduces intramolecular cross-links and intermolecular formaldehyde/glycine adducts in diphtheria toxin. The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the nature and location of formaldehyde-induced modifications at two functional sit...

A seroprevalence study of tetanus and diphtheria was carried out in a sample of 537 health care workers in Catalonia. The prevalence of protective antibodies against tetanus was 93.9% (95% confidence interval: 91.5-95.7). The prevalence of protective antibodies against diphtheria was 46.4% (95% confidence interval: 42.1-50.7). Tetanus protection should be improved in health care workers born be...

Purpose - to study the state of protection against vaccine-controlled infections in children with primary immunodeficiency (PID) and on immunosuppressive therapy. Materials methods. The object was level intensity humoral immunity viral (measles, rubella) bacterial (diphtheria, tetanus) immunosuppressed patients. Protective levels specific IgG antibodies vaccine antigens were determined 58 20 re...