Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
Murine Model of Leukemia Relapse to Induction Chemotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Published on: October 17, 2025
Vaccine-Induced Immunity in Children and Adolescents After Chemotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A
Cláudia F C Valente1, Heloisa Ihle Garcia Giamberardino2, Tânia Cristina de Mattos Barros Petraglia3
1Hospital da Criança de Brasília José Alencar, Brasília 70684-831, Brazil.
Background:
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most prevalent childhood cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality before the age of 20. Although therapeutic advances have significantly improved survival, children and adolescents treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia remain vulnerable to infections, largely preventable by vaccination, due to humoral and cellular immune dysfunction induced by disease and treatment.
Materials And Methods:
This systematic review, based on electronic databases, aims to evaluate antibody levels associated with potential protective immunity against vaccine antigens for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, varicella-zoster virus, yellow fever, pneumococcal, and meningococcal diseases in children and adolescents treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia after completion of chemotherapy.
Results:
A total of twenty-four studies published between 1981 and 2023 were included, comprising 1110 children and adolescents. Protective antibody levels ranged from 11% to 97% for diphtheria, 0% to 90% for pertussis, 20% to 100% for tetanus, and 11% to 95% for poliomyelitis. Haemophilus influenzae type b, protection ranged from 16.7% to 100%. Viral vaccines also showed heterogeneous responses, with protection rates of 25-79% for mumps, 16-86% for measles, 35-98% for rubella, and 23-75% for varicella-zoster virus. Antibody responses to pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccines were consistently low, with protection rates of 5-38% for pneumococcal studies and 12% in a single meningococcal study.
Conclusions:
This review found a consistent and clinically relevant loss of vaccine-induced immunity in children and adolescents treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The recommendation of vaccine booster doses for this vulnerable population, irrespective of serological status, may represent a more practical approach to ensuring adequate post-chemotherapy treatment protection.
More Related Videos
06:08Assessment of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell-Associated Toxicities Using an Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenograft Mouse Model
Published on: February 10, 2023
10:49Pre-clinical Evaluation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Treatment of Acute Leukemia
Published on: September 18, 2013
Related Concept Videos
01:30Cancer Vaccines
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
01:51Vaccinations
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
01:24Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
01:26Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion