Relation Between Maternal Age And Serum Concentration Of Igg Antibody To Type Iii Group B Streptococci

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Abstract
Coded serum samples collected from healthy obstetric patients at delivery were examined by ELISA for IgG antibody to the purified type III polysaccharide of group B streptococci. When 217 patients were divided into 4 groups according to age (group 1= 16–20 years, n = 56; group II = 21–25, n = 53; group III = 26–30, n = 54; group IV = 31–35, n = 54), antibody concentrations were significantly lower in group I than in older patients. Fewer subjects in group I had measurable antibody levels ( ≥ 0.05 µg/mL) than in groups II-IV (41%vs. 76%, P < .001). The geometric mean in group I (0.09 ìg/mL) was significantly lower (P < .001) than in the older groups (0.23, 0.19, and 0.20 ìg/mL, respectively) with little or no overlap of the 95% confidence limits (1.96 SE) about the means. These findings may be relevant to the observation of a significantly greater risk of both early- and late-onset group B streptococcal disease in infants of teenage mothers.

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