The
IgG and
IgM type specific anticapsular pneumococcal antibody titres were studied with ELISA during one year following vaccination with a 14-valent
pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in four different patient groups: 41 children splenectomized after a traumatic
rupture, 16 splenectomized because of disease, 15 non-surgically managed after
splenic rupture, and 19 healthy controls. Serum samples were obtained before vaccination and after 14, 60, 180, and 360 days. The
IgG antibody responses were equally good in all of the patient groups, while the
IgM antibody responses were less pronounced in the splenectomized. In the non-surgically managed patients, the
IgM antibody titres after vaccination, as well as antibody responses per se, were significantly higher for all 12 pneumococcal types studied than in the patients who were splenectomized. Both the
IgG and the
IgM antibody titres were highest at 14 days after vaccination. However, while the
IgG titres for most pneumococcal types remained elevated at 360 days, the
IgM titres soon fell to prevaccination levels. The antibody response was less good for the types 3 and 6 A. The results indicate that the
IgG antibody response to pneumococcal
polysaccharide vaccination is unaffected in splenectomized individuals, but the
IgM antibody response is decreased. In patients with a healed traumatically damaged spleen, both the
IgG and
IgM responses seem to be normal.