THE EFFECT OF BCG ON IRON METABOLISM IN THE EARLY NEONATAL PERIOD: A CONTROLLED TRIAL IN IRANIAN NEONATES

Background and Aim:Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination has been reported to protect neonates from non-tuberculous pathogens, but no biological mechanism to explain such effects is known. We hypothesised that BCG produces broad-spectrum anti-microbial protection via a hepcidin-mediated hypoferraemia, limiting iron availability for pathogens.Methods:To test this we conducted a trial in 250 iranian neonates comparing iron status in the first 5-days of life after allocation to: (1) All routine vaccinations at birth (BCG/Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV)/Hepatitis B Vaccine (HBV)); (2) BCG delayed until after the study period (at day 5); and (3) All routine vaccinations delayed until after the study period.Results:Vaccine regime at birth did not significantly impact on any measured parameter of iron metabolism.Conclusion:However, the ability to detect an effect of BCG on iron metabolism may have been limited by short follow-up time and high activation of the inflammatory-iron axis in the study population.

کلیدواژه ها:

BCG ، Hepcidin ، Heterologous effects ، ISRCTN93854442 ، Iron ، Neonate