Abstract
Immunologic responses, both humoral and cellular, following vaccination with live attenuated measles vaccine were studied in 11 children and compared to the immunologic responses observed following vaccination with killed attenuated measles virus and placebo. The attenuated measles virus temporarily suppressed the cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity reaction to purified protein derivative for 1 to 4 weeks; in addition, the delayed hypersensitivity reactions to candida, vaccinia, diphtheria toxoid, poison ivy, and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene antigens were also temporarily suppressed for 1 to 4 weeks. A modest depression of total leucocyte counts, including small lymphocytes, was noted for 1 to 3 weeks; at the same time, the capacity of lymphocytes from patients who received live measles vaccine to respond in vitro to stimulation with purified protein derivative, candida, and ragweed antigens was suppressed without decrease in their in vitro response to phytohemagglutinin. Administration of live measles vaccine did not decrease pre-existing humoral antibody titers to diphtheria toxoid or poliovirus, serum γG-, γA- and γM-globulin concentrations or immediate wheal and flare hypersensitivity skin reactions. The mechanism of the suppression of delayed hypersensitivity by live measles vaccine appears dependent on a viable virus since killed measles vaccine had no demonstrable effect on pre-existing cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity or on the in vitro lymphocyte responses. This study demonstrates that live attenuated measles virus interferes with the capacity of the recipient to express cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity without suppression of humoral antibody.
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