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Oxford University Press, Neuro-Oncology Practice, 3(5), p. 176-183

DOI: 10.1093/nop/npx035

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Immunogenicity of high-dose influenza vaccination in patients with primary central nervous system malignancy

This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.

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Abstract

Abstract Background For cancer patients, rates of influenza-associated hospitalization and death are 4 times greater than that of the general population. Previously, we reported reduced immunogenicity to the standard-dose influenza vaccine in patients with central nervous system malignancy. In other poorly responding populations (eg, elderly patients), high-dose vaccination has improved efficacy and immunogenicity. Methods A prospective cohort study was designed to evaluate the immunogenicity of the Fluzone® high-dose influenza vaccine in brain tumor patients. Data on diagnosis, active oncologic treatment, and immunologic status (eg, CD4 count, CD8 count, CD4:CD8 ratio) were collected. All patients received the high-dose vaccine (180 µg). Hemagglutination inhibition titers were measured at baseline, day 28, and 3 months following vaccination to determine seroconversion (≥4-fold rise) and seroprotection (titer ≥1:40), which were compared to our prior results. Results Twenty-seven patients enrolled. Diagnoses included high-grade glioma (85%), CNS lymphoma (11%), and meningioma (4%). Treatment at enrollment included glucocorticoids (n = 8, 30%), radiation (n = 2, 7%), and chemotherapy (n = 9, 33%). Posttreatment lymphopenia (PTL, CD4 ≤ 200) was observed in 4 patients (15%). High-dose vaccination was well tolerated with no grade III-IV toxicity. Overall, seroconversion rates for the A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B vaccine strains were significantly higher than in our prior study: 65% vs 37%, 69% vs 23%, and 50% vs 23%, respectively (all P < .04). Seroconversion was universally poor in patients with PTL. While seroprotection at 3 months declined in our prior study, no drop was observed following high-dose vaccination in this cohort. Conclusions The immunologic response to HD influenza vaccination was higher in this cohort than standard-dose influenza vaccination in our prior report. These findings mirror those in elderly patients where high-dose vaccination is the standard of care and raise the possibility of an immunosenescence phenotype.