Journal
VACCINE
Volume 36, Issue 41, Pages 6183-6190Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.08.056
Keywords
Respiratory syncytial virus; Immune responses; Healthcare workers; Infants
Categories
Funding
- University of Oxford
- ReiThera Srl
- National Institute of Health Research (NIHR)
- Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes respiratory disease throughout life. Here we report differences in naturally acquired immunity with age and presumed exposure. Methods: A longitudinal, non-interventional, observational study was performed in healthy adults (20 paediatric healthcare workers and 10 non-healthcare workers), children (10 aged 3-6 years) and infants (5 aged 2-4 months and 20 aged 6-12 months). Blood samples were analysed for RSV-neutralising antibody titre, F/Ga/Gb-specific antibody titres, F-specific IgG/IgA memory B-cell frequencies and T-cell production of IFN gamma, IL-4, IL-13 and IL-17. Results: Serum G-specific antibody titres were significantly lower in infants and children than adults. However, serum titres of F-specific and RSV-neutralising antibody and IFN gamma-producing T-cell frequencies were low or absent in the infants, but comparable between children and adults. Interestingly, F-specific memory IgA B-cells could not be detected in paediatric samples and in samples from non-healthcare workers, but recordable IgA memory B-cells were found in 9/18 paediatric healthcare workers and 2/8 non-healthcare workers at the end of the RSV season. These responses waned 4-6 months later. By contrast, F-specific IgG memory B-cells were detectable in samples from all adults without significant variation across time points. T-cells producing IL-4, IL-13 and IL-17 responses were not detectable in peripheral blood from a subset of volunteers. Conclusions: Repeated RSV exposure in early life generates immune responses that are inversely related to frequency of severe disease. Induction of F-specific antibody and cellular immune responses through infant vaccination might help to accelerate the development of protective immune responses at an early age. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available