Antibody responses of splenectomized patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to immunization with polyvalent pneumococcal vaccines

The serum antibody responses of splenectomized patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who had been immunized with a polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine (Pneumovax 23) were evaluated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine as the antigen. A response to immunization, defined as a twofold-or-higher rise of the prevaccination titer of antibodies against Streptococcus pneumoniae polysaccharide, was elicited in 5 of 11 patients with NHL. No significant difference in the level of antibodies against S. pneumoniae polysaccharide between lymphoma patients and patients who had undergone splenectomy for other reasons was detected (P = 0.83 and 0.87 before and after vaccination, respectively). NHL patients who did not respond to the first immunization received a booster dose of the polysaccharide vaccine. This injection did not increase the pneumococcal-antibody titer significantly (P = 0.7). We conclude that vaccination with pneumococcal polysaccharides in splenectomized patients with NHL elicits an adequate antibody response in 45.4% of the cases and should therefore be administered. Revaccination of the nonresponders does not further increase the pneumococcal-antibody levels.