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The effect of Schick testing on diphtheria antitoxin status
1Infectious Diseases Department, Royal Free Hospital Infectious Diseases Unit, Coppetts Wood Hospital, Muswell Hill, London, U.K.
The Journal of Infection
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Schick testing is not reliably immunogenic and does not provide a useful booster response in most previously immunized individuals. This study found minimal increases in antitoxin levels after the test.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- The Schick test historically assessed diphtheria immunity.
- Diphtheria immunization is widespread, leading to a population with presumed immunity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the immunogenicity of the Schick test antigen.
- To determine if Schick testing elicits a booster response in previously immunized individuals.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-nine healthy adults, mostly previously immunized against diphtheria, underwent Schick testing.
- Blood samples were collected pre-test and at various intervals post-test to measure antitoxin titers.
Main Results:
- Only 4 out of 29 participants showed a significant rise in antitoxin levels post-Schick testing.
- Most participants remained Schick-negative, indicating existing immunity.
- The test did not reliably induce a booster response.
Conclusions:
- Schick testing is not a reliably immunogenic procedure.
- It cannot be assumed to provide a useful booster response in individuals already immunized against diphtheria.