Characteristics of Anti-Measles Immunity in Lung Transplant Candidates

Measles has not yet been eradicated; therefore, its outbreaks are still reported throughout the world. Like any infection, measles is dangerous for immunocompromised patients. Levels of anti-measles IgG antibodies were measured in 157 patients aged 17 to 72, who were placed on the lung transplant waiting list. Measurements were undertaken by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the VectoMeasles-IgG kit (Russia). The proportion of patients seronegative for measles was 19% (30/157). Correlation was detected between patients' age and their levels of anti-measles antibodies, with higher proportions of patients having undetectable titers (25.5-28.9%) or low antibody levels (38.3-44.4%) in the young age groups (17-29 and 30-39 years old). There were no differences between male and female patients in levels of anti-measles antibodies or in the proportion of seronegative individuals. Analyses of antibody levels with regard to type of disease revealed the highest rate of seronegative results in cystic fibrosis patients (34.4%, 11/32). Overall, 19% of lung transplant candidates, mostly young people and cystic fibrosis patients, did not have protective immunity against measles.