Abstract
Extract: The spleen is essential for the formation of antibody in response to intravenously administered particulate antigen. Therefore, this splenic function was investigated in a number of children with sickle cell anemia. Following intravenous administration of 1.0 ml sheep red cells, heterophile antibody titers were determined at Q, 7, 14, and 21 days. One normal (Hgb AA), one sickle trait (Hgb AS), and two sickle-thalassemia (Hgb SSF) children had significant rises in heterophile titers with at least a 2-fold rise in 7 days and a minimum of 4-fold rise by day 14. This is comparable to responses of normal individuals previously reported. Five Hgb SS children had minimal antibody response with none having a rise in titer at 7 days. Three of these children had palpable spleens but no splenic visualization on scans. Two children received transfusions which restored splenic uptake of radiocolloid before antigenic challenge. These children also failed to form antibody. One child with sickle cell anemia received the same dose of sheep erythrocytes intramuscularly and had a significant antibody response comparable to normals.
Speculation: The defect of immunologic function in children with sickle cell anemia is similar to that described in asplenic individuals. This may be an important determinant of the increased susceptibility to infection in children with this disorder and their predisposition to overwhelming pneumococcal septicemia.
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Schwartz, A., Pearson, H. Impaired Antibody Response to Intravenous Immunization in Sickle Cell Anemia. Pediatr Res 6, 145–149 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197202000-00008
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197202000-00008
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