Immunization response varies with intensity of acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapy
D. Ridgway, L. J. Wolff and A. Deforest
Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland.
Twenty-four children receiving maintenance chemotherapy for acute
lymphoblastic leukemia were given booster doses of tetanus-diphtheria
combined toxoids. One month later, 19 of the 24 children were given
Haemophilus influenzae B oligosaccharide-cross-reacting material conjugate
vaccine. Following immunization, all patients had protective antibody
titers against tetanus, 92% had protective antidiphtheria titers, and 84%
had protective titers against H influenzae. Preimmunization titers,
postimmunization titers, and response to immunization varied according to
the intensity of therapy. There was no correlation with duration of therapy
or quantitative hematologic values in the peripheral blood. These
observations support the recommendation that children treated for acute
lymphoblastic leukemia should be immunized against H influenzae B.
