Sex differences in antibody responses to the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination

There are profound sex-based differences in both humoral and cellular immune responses to vaccination [1]. In general, adult females demonstrate higher antibody responses to bacterial and viral vaccines than men [2]. For instance, adult females vaccinated with half the dose of the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) produce similar humoral immune responses than adult males vaccinated with a full dose of the TIV [3]. Given that the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) is an important tool in our evaluation of the humoral immune response [4], we sought to determine if men and women have a significantly different immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody response to PPSV23.
Source: Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: Letters Source Type: research