Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30611213›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2019

Use of saliva to monitor meningococcal vaccine responses: proposing a threshold in saliva as surrogate of protection.

Mariëtte B van Ravenhorst, Fiona R M van der Klis, Debbie M van Rooijen, Elisabeth A M Sanders, Guy A M Berbers

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Mariëtte B van RavenhorstCentre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Postbaknummer 41, Postbus 1, 3720, BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. mvanravenh@gmail.com.
Fiona R M van der KlisCentre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Postbaknummer 41, Postbus 1, 3720, BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Debbie M van RooijenCentre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Postbaknummer 41, Postbus 1, 3720, BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Elisabeth A M SandersCentre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Postbaknummer 41, Postbus 1, 3720, BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Guy A M BerbersCentre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Postbaknummer 41, Postbus 1, 3720, BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMucosal antibodies against capsular polysaccharides offer protection against acquisition and carriage of encapsulated bacteria like Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C. Measurements of salivary antibodies as replacement for blood testing has important (cost-effective) advantages, particular in studies that assess the impact of large-scale vaccination or in populations in which blood sampling is difficult. This study aimed to estimate a threshold for meningococcal IgG salivary antibody levels to discriminate between unprotected and protected vaccinated individuals.

methodsMenA-, MenC-, MenW- and MenY-polysaccharide (PS) specific IgG levels in serum and saliva from participants in a meningococcal vaccination study were measured using the fluorescent-bead-based multiplex immunoassay. Functional antibody titers in serum against the four serogroups were measured with serum bactericidal assay using rabbit complement (rSBA). A threshold for salivary IgG was determined by analysis of ROC curves using a serum rSBA titer ≥128 as correlate of protection. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to quantify the accuracy of the salivary test and was considered adequate when ≥0.80. The optimal cut-off was considered adequate when salivary IgG cut-off levels provided specificity of ≥90%. True positive rate (sensitivity), positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated to explore the possible use of salivary antibody levels as a surrogate of protection.

resultsThe best ROC curve (AUC of 0.95) was obtained for MenC, with an estimated minimum threshold of MenC-PS specific salivary IgG ≥3.54 ng/mL as surrogate of protection. An adequate AUC (> 0.80) was also observed for MenW and MenY with an estimated minimal threshold of 2.00 and 1.82 ng/mL, respectively. When applying these thresholds, all (100%) samples collected 1 month and 1 year after the (booster) meningococcal vaccination, that were defined as protective in the saliva test for MenC, MenW and MenY, corresponded with concomitant serum rSBA titer ≥128 for the respective meningococcal serogroups.

conclusionThe saliva test offers an alternative screening tool to monitor protective vaccine responses up to one year after meningococcal vaccination against MenC, MenW and MenY. Future (large) longitudinal vaccination studies evaluating also clinical protection against IMD or carriage acquisition are required to validate the currently proposed threshold in saliva.

Indexed as

AdolescentAntibodies, BacterialBacterial CapsulesChildHumansImmunoglobulin GMeningitis, MeningococcalMeningococcal VaccinesNeisseria meningitidis, Serogroup CSalivaVaccinationAntibodies, BacterialImmunoglobulin GMeningococcal VaccinesConjugate meningococcal vaccineCorrelate of protectionNeisseria meningitidisSalivary surrogate of protectionThreshold

Identifiers

PMID30611213
PMCPMC6321721
OpenAlexW2914391067

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.