BCG vaccination reduces risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis as detected by gamma interferon release assay
Abstract
Aims To investigate whether BCG vaccination, in addition to a reduction of active tuberculosis, leads to a reduction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection during an outbreak of tuberculosis.Methods Pupils (n=199) of a Junior School exposed to a pupil with active pulmonary tuberculosis were screened using a gamma interferon release assay for detection of M. tuberculosis infection (ex vivo ELISPOT assay). Relative risk of M. tuberculosis infection and pulmonary tuberculosis associated with BCG vaccination were calculated and adjusted for exposure risk.Results Twenty-nine percent of children with previous BCG vaccination had a reactive gamma interferon release assay compared with 47% of unvaccinated children (unadjusted RR 0.61, 95%CI 0.39, 0.96). The protective effect of BCG vaccination persisted following adjustment for other risk factors for infection like ethnicity and proximity to the source case reflected in membership of class and activity groups (corrected relative risk 0.26, 95%CI 0.09, 0.69 and risk reduction of 74%, 95%CI 31%, 91%). A higher proportion of unvaccinated children (11%) were diagnosed with active pulmonary tuberculosis compared with 5% of vaccinated children (RR 0.51 95%CI 0.15, 1.70).Conclusion BCG vaccination was associated with a reduction of M. tuberculosis infection diagnosed by gamma interferon release assay testing in school children during a point source outbreak.
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In a TB outbreak at a school in the UK, 29% of previously BCG-vaccinated children had a memory T cell response to infection, as indicated by a positive interferon-γ release assay, as compared with 47% of the unvaccinated children.
“In a TB outbreak at a school in the UK, 29% of previously BCG-vaccinated children had a memory T cell response to infection, as indicated by a positive interferon-γ release assay, as compared with 47% of the unvaccinated children63.”
From A guide to vaccinology: from basic principles to new developments (2021) · cites this paper as [63]
There is good evidence that BCG vaccination reduces the risk of infection.
“However, there is also good evidence that BCG vaccination reduces the risk of infection.”
From A guide to vaccinology: from basic principles to new developments (2021) · cites this paper as [63]
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A guide to vaccinology: from basic principles to new developments
Pollard, A. J., & Bijker, E. M. (2021) · Nature Reviews Immunology · doi:10.1038/s41577-020-00479-7 · Cited by 1,593 · see citing works
- Authors
- Eisenhut, M., Paranjothy, S., Abubakar, I., Bracebridge, S., Lilley, M., Mulla, R., Lack, K., Chalkley, D., & McEvoy, M.
- Affiliations
- Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Cardiff University (GB)
- University of East Anglia (GB)
- Health Protection Agency (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Eisenhut, Michael
- Venue
- Vaccine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-10
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 44
- Pages
- 6116-6120
- ISSN
- 0264-410X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2120936216
- Cited by
- 85
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 3.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Vaccine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (08/16/01)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune responses and vaccinations
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis
- Keywords
- BCG vaccination, Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, tuberculosis outbreak, interferon-gamma release assay, ELISPOT, elementary school students, active pulmonary tuberculosis, tuberculosis screening, vaccine efficacy, point source outbreak
- MeSH terms
- BCG Vaccine, Child, Disease Outbreaks, Humans, Interferon-gamma, Male, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Risk Factors, Tuberculosis, Pulmonary
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