Immunologic Response in Patients with Epiglottitis Caused by Haemophilus injluenzae Type b

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Abstract
The sera of 13 patients (median age, 31 months) with epiglottitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae, type b (HIB), were studied for bactericidal, hemagglutinating, and radioimmune assay antibodies to the infecting agent. All 10 patients over two years of age and two of three less than two years of age had significant increases in antibody titers; one child, aged 17 months, showed no rise in antibody titer by any of the three assays. The magnitude of the antibody response correlated with the increasing age of the patients. Nineteen other patients who had HIB epiglottitis six months to 15 years before the period of study and their siblings were bled for determination of their current levels of antibody. Seventy-four percent of patients and only 38% of siblings had detectable bactericidal antibodies to HIB. Two children, who had epiglottitis two and six years previously, and two siblings were immunized with HIB capsular polysaccharide material. All developed specific antibodies by the seventh day after immunization.

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