Impact of Immune Priming, Vaccination, and Infection on Influenza A(H3N2) Antibody Landscapes in Children. (22nd October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hinojosa, Michael; Shepard, Samuel S; Chung, Jessie R; King, Jennifer P; McLean, Huong Q; Flannery, Brendan; Belongia, Edward A; Levine, Min Z
• Is Part Of: Journal of infectious diseases. Volume 224:Number 3(2021)
• Page Start: 469
• Page End: 480
• Publication Date: 2020-10-22
• Subjects: influenza vaccination -- antibody landscape -- birth cohorts -- immune priming -- infection; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Diseases -- Causes and theories of causation -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa665
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1899

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Preexisting antibodies to influenza, shaped by early infection and subsequent exposures, may impact responses to influenza vaccination. Methods: We enrolled 72 children (aged 7–17 years) in 2015–2016; all received inactivated influenza vaccines. Forty-one were also vaccinated in 2014–2015, with 12 becoming infected with A(H3N2) in 2014–2015. Thirty-one children did not have documented influenza exposures in the prior 5 seasons. Sera were collected pre- and postvaccination in both seasons. We constructed antibody landscapes using hemagglutination inhibition antibody titers against 16 A(H3N2) viruses representative of major antigenic clusters that circulated between 1968 and 2015. Results: The breadth of the antibody landscapes increased with age. Vaccine-induced antibody responses correlated with boosting of titers to previously encountered antigens. Postvaccination titers were the highest against vaccine antigens rather than the historic A(H3N2) viruses previously encountered. Prevaccination titers to the vaccine were the strongest predictors of postvaccination titers. Responses to vaccine antigens did not differ by likely priming virus. Influenza A(H3N2)-infected children in 2014–2015 had narrower antibody landscapes than those uninfected, but prior season infection status had little effect on antibody landscapes following 2015–2016 vaccination. Conclusions: A(H3N2) antibody landscapes in children were largely determined by age-related immune priming, rather than recent vaccination or infection. Abstract : Antibody landscapes can capture complex antibody profiles. Children infected with A(H3N2) influenza viruses had narrower antibody landscapes preinfection than those uninfected, but antibody landscapes in children postvaccination were largely determined by age-related immune priming, rather than recent vaccination or infection.