Placental Transfer of Tetanus Toxoid Antibodies: is there an Impairment in Nigeria?

Abstract

In a joint study undertaken at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria and at the University of Liverpool and School of Tropical Medicine, UK, antitetanus antibody levels were determined in 20 paired mother-baby with tetanus 199 as well as in 10 paired mother-baby. controls, using the ELISA test.  97 Maternal tetanus antibody concentration and that of their babies with Rong tetanus ranged from 0.420 to 8.115 IU/ml, and from 0.038 to 6.404 IU/ ml, respectively. In the controls, maternal antibody concentration ranged from 4.794 to 9.560 IU/ml while that of the babies ranged from 3.574 IU/ml to 9.841 IU/ml. The mean sequestration index (SI) was lower (P<0.001) in the study group than in the controls. Mothers of babies vals with tetanus were younger (p<0.02), had lower level of education (P = ant0.0133) and their tetanus toxoid coverage was lower (P<0.001) than body those of the controls. With the mean SI of 0.91 for the controls in the present study being close to 0.98 found in Gabonese women and about old- 2.5 times lower than that of French women, it is concluded that there Jojob was an impairment in the transfer of antitetanus toxoid antibodies across the placenta among Port Harcourt women.