All issues > Volume 47(8); 2004

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2004;47(8):827-832. Published online August 15, 2004.

Measles Antibodies Measured by Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test in Infants during the First Year of Life

Sung Hee SH Oh¹, Hak Won HW Kim¹, Younghee YH Lim², Hahng H Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Central Research Laboratory, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Sung Hee SH Oh ,Email: sungheeo@hanyang.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: The 2000-2001 measles epidemic resulted in more than 50,000 cases with the highest attack rate occuring in infants less than one year of age, indicating the necessity of measles immunization before 12 months of age when a measles outbreak occurs again. The study was conducted to measure maternal measles antibody in infants by plaque reduction neutralization test(PRN), for the first time in Korea, to assess the optimal age for measles vaccination before the first birthday, when necessary.
Methods
: Sera were obtained from 95 infants younger than 12 months of age who were healthy or recovered from mild illnesses, and had not had measles vaccination, measles infection, or blood transfusion. Measles antibodies were measured by PRN.
Results
: Geometric mean titers and seropositive rates of measles antibody measured by PRN were 879.7 mIU/mL(100.0%), 690.0 mIU/mL(83.3%), 182.7 mIU/mL(50.0%), 91.3 mIU/mL(50.0%), 32.2 mIU/ mL(0.0)%, 25.1 mIU/mL(0.0%), 18.1 mIU/mL(0.0%), 38.4 mIU/mL(25.0%), 27.1 mIU/mL(0.0%), 31.2 mIU/mL(0.0%), 54.3 mIU/mL(0.0%), and 27.1 mIU/mL(0.0%) from 0 to 11 months respectively.
Conclusion
: By PRN, which was used for the first time to measure the measles antibody in Korea, placentally transferred measles antibody was detected in all newborns tested and decreased reciprocally to the age of infants, leaving almost all infants older than four months seronegative. These results indicate that measles vaccination at six months of age or older, which is the current recommendation during the period of epidemic issued by the Korean Society of Pediatrics, should not cause the primary vaccine failure. It seems advisable to utilize PRN further in order to find the optimal schedule for measles vaccination to infants born to women who were vaccinated.

Keywords :Measles, Neutralization test, Infant, Maternally-acquired, Antibody