Most of the children who make up the measles by recover quickly apparently well of the disease. But if the typical rash of the disease is already gone and the fever has long since abated, according to the impact of the infection still: measles weaken the immune system in the long term, and make Affected and therefore more susceptible to other infectious diseases.
An international team of researchers led by Boston scientists, Michael Mina, has investigated this effect of the measles virus in more detail. The experts talk in the journal “Science” of “immunological amnesia”.
The group was able to collect in the Netherlands, 77 blood samples from unvaccinated children before and after they were suffering from the measles. In these samples, they searched for specific antibodies against viruses and bacteria. This is an important building block in the fight against infectious diseases. The measles disease reduced the diversity of the antibody dramatically, on average, they had fallen about seven weeks after infection by 33 to 40 percent.
The exact fit of the antibodies help to recognize a specific pathogen quickly and to fight effectively. Without it, the resistance force drops and the corresponding disease. The producers of these antibodies are Essentially in the bone marrow. It is composed of specialized cells that are attacked by the measles virus and therefore the death are.
Mug shots – full of holes
“You can imagine her immunity against pathogens, such as a book, in the photos of Criminals bonding,” says Mina. “Now imagine, someone has punched a lot of holes. Now, it would be much harder to recognize the Criminal.”
Although, antibody diversity builds up with time, because the body is developed upon repeated contact with the respective pathogens in the new antibody, however, may be the diseases in this time of fierce. “We have very strong evidence that the measles virus actually destroys the immune system,” said the study involved researchers Stephen Elledge.
For comparison, the researchers analyzed samples for more blood, including children affected by the measles. They lost in the course of a year, only about ten percent of the proved at the first examination, a tailored anti-body. A certain loss of certain antibodies is normal. The dramatic fall in the numbers due to the measles, however, goes much further.
An Experiment on rhesus monkeys, also confirmed what was observed by the researchers at the children, the animals lost by the measles, a large part of their protective anti-body diversity is a ends.
Further, in “Science Immunology” published a study shows, moreover, that the diversity of the so-called B-memory drops cells after a measles infection. This also contributes to harmful amnesia of the immune system after the disease.
The measles vaccine does not have this harmful effect
Using other Tests, the group explained to Michael Mina, whether the vaccination against measles, Mumps and rubella as the disease itself has a negative effect on the immune system. They discovered no signs of it.
“These new findings explain the mechanism of immune deficiency and the observed increased susceptibility to Infection after a measles infection,” says the children-infections Loge Johannes Trück from the University children’s hospital Zurich in Switzerland. They reminded the importance of a systematic measles vaccination.
In Europe, measles cases have doubled in the last world even tripled. One of the reasons the world health organization, WHO, according to Here. Actually, the disease should be eradicated by consistent Vaccination by 2020