Analysis of reversions in the 5'-untranslated region of attenuated poliovirus after sequential administration of inactivated and oral poliovirus vaccines.

Replication of Sabin strains used in oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) in the intestines of vaccine recipients leads to reversions that increase virus neurovirulence. Previously, a small study reported that prior immunization with inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) resulted in faster accumulation of revertant virus, thus potentially increasing the risk of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis. We studied the impact that prior immunization with IPV and OPV has on shedding of revertant virus by healthy infants. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we amplified full-length poliovirus genomes directly from stool specimens from unimmunized infants and from infants previously immunized with IPV or OPV. The amplicons were used to quantify reversions in the 5'-untranslated region, using oligonucleotide microarray hybridization. Nearly all 140 samples that were PCR positive contained varying amounts of revertants of all 3 poliovirus serotypes. Polioviruses of Sabin types 2 and 3 reverted more easily than those of type 1. Prior vaccination with IPV did not increase the proportion of revertants after OPV administration.