Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine-related disease in HIV-infected children: a systematic review [Review article]
METHODS: Systematic literature review of articles published from 1950 to April 2009 in the English language. We identified all microbiologically confirmed cases of disseminated BCG disease in vertically HIV-infected children reported in the literature.
RESULTS: Sixteen observational studies and 11 case reports/series were included. Observational studies suffered from high rates of loss to follow-up and death. Loco-regional BCG disease was reported in both HIV-infected and non-infected children. Disseminated BCG disease was reported only in children with immunodeficiency and only in studies employing sophisticated laboratory techniques. Sixty-nine cases of disseminated BCG were identified in the literature: 47 cases were reported in six observational studies, the majority (41/47) from the Western Cape of South Africa. A Brazilian cohort study reported no cases of disseminated BCG amongst 66 HIV-infected children observed over a 7-year period. A recent South African surveillance study reported 32 cases of disseminated BCG over a 3-year period, estimating the risk of disseminated BCG to be 992 per 100 000 vaccinations in HIV-infected children. Few cases of severe disseminated TB were reported in the cohort studies among HIV-infected children vaccinated with BCG.
CONCLUSION: Data on the risk of BCG vaccination in HIV-infected children are limited. Targeted surveillance for BCG complications employing sophisticated diagnostic techniques is required to inform vaccination policy.
Keywords: BCG; HIV; disseminated; review
Document Type: Invited Paper
Affiliations: 1: Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2: Centre for International Child Health, The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Publication date: November 1, 2009
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