Neutralizing dengue antibody in pregnant Thai women and cord blood.

• Published in: PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
• Main Authors: Kriangsak Khamim, Weerawan Hattasingh, Ananda Nisalak, Jaranit Kaewkungwal, Stefan Fernandez, Butsaya Thaisomboonsuk, Krisana Pengsaa, Usa Thisyakorn
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2015
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003396; https://doaj.org/article/bfebb580b7b94a5e86cf56035525965b

BACKGROUND:The WHO 'Global Strategy for Dengue Prevention and Control, 2012-2020' addresses the growing need for the treatment of dengue, and targets a 25% reduction in morbidity and 50% in mortality (using 2010 estimates as baseline). Achieving these goals requires future dengue prevention strategies that will employ both potential vaccines and sustainable vector-control measures. Maternally transferred dengue antibody is an important factor in determining the optimal age for dengue vaccination. OBJECTIVES:To estimate the seroprevalence of dengue antibodies among mothers living in an area of high endemicity--Ban Pong, Ratchaburi Province--and to assess maternal dengue antibodies transferred to cord blood. MATERIALS & METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted with 141 pregnant women who delivered at Ban Pong Hospital, Ratchaburi, Thailand. Maternal-cord paired sera were tested for dengue neutralizing (NT) antibody by PRNT50 assay. A ratio of ≥ 1:10 NT titer to dengue serotype was considered seropositive. RESULTS:Most mothers (137/141, 97.2%) had NT antibodies to at least one dengue serotype in their sera. At birth, the proportion of cord sera with NT antibodies to DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4, were high and similar to the sera of their mothers, at 93.6%, 97.2%, 97.9%, and 92.2%, respectively. The dengue geometric mean titers (GMT) in cord blood were significantly higher than the maternal antibodies (p<0.001): highest in DEN-2, followed by DEN-3, and then DEN-1. The GMT of DEN-4 was the lowest among all four serotypes. CONCLUSIONS:Dengue infection is highly prevalent among pregnant women in this dengue-endemic area. Most of the cord blood had transferred dengue antibodies, which may have an impact on the disease burden in this population.