Journal Article

Influenza virus infection history shapes antibody responses to influenza vaccination

Huong, Tran Thi Kieu, Barr, Ian, Bich, Vu Thi Ngoc, Thuong, Nguyen Thi Hong, Diep, Nguyen Thi Ngoc, Smith, Derek, Phuong, Hoang Vu Mai, Wilks, Sam, Boyd, Scott D., Khvorov, Arseniy, Duong, Tran Nhu, Kedzierska, Katherine, Anh, Dang Duc, Duong, Nguyen Thanh, Mai, Le Thi Quynh, Fox, Annette, Hang, Nguyen Le Khang, Good-Jacobson, Kim L., Sullivan, Sheena, Thai, Pham Quang, van Doorn, H. Rogier, Carolan, Louise, Wertheim, Heiman, Auladell, Maria, Price, David, Hensen, Luca, Tseng, Yeu-Yang, Thanh, Le Thi

2022

Overview

Studies of successive vaccination suggest that immunological memory against past influenza viruses may limit responses to vaccines containing current strains. The impact of memory induced by prior infection is rarely considered and is difficult to ascertain, because infections are often subclinical. This study investigated influenza vaccination among adults from the Ha Nam cohort (Vietnam), who were purposefully selected to include 72 with and 28 without documented influenza A(H3N2) infection during the preceding 9 years (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry 12621000110886). The primary outcome was the effect of prior influenza A(H3N2) infection on hemagglutinin-inhibiting antibody responses induced by a locally available influenza vaccine administered in November 2016. Baseline and postvaccination sera were titrated against 40 influenza A(H3N2) strains spanning 1968–2018. At each time point (baseline, day 14 and day 280), geometric mean antibody titers against 2008–2018 strains were higher among participants with recent infection (34 (29–40), 187 (154–227) and 86 (72–103)) than among participants without recent infection (19 (17–22), 91 (64–130) and 38 (30–49)). On days 14 and 280, mean titer rises against 2014–2018 strains were 6.1-fold (5.0- to 7.4-fold) and 2.6-fold (2.2- to 3.1-fold) for participants with recent infection versus 4.8-fold (3.5- to 6.7-fold) and 1.9-fold (1.5- to 2.3-fold) for those without. One of 72 vaccinees with recent infection versus 4 of 28 without developed symptomatic A(H3N2) infection in the season after vaccination ( P  = 0.021). The range of A(H3N2) viruses recognized by vaccine-induced antibodies was associated with the prior infection strain. These results suggest that recall of immunological memory induced by prior infection enhances antibody responses to inactivated influenza vaccine and is important to attain protective antibody titers. Recent prior influenza A infection is associated with elevated hemagglutinin-inhibiting antibody responses and greater breadth of reactivity to influenza strains following vaccination, suggesting that infection history boosts vaccine responses.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group US,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 631/250/2152/2153/1291 / 631/250/590/1883 / 631/326/596/1578 / 692/308/575 / 692/700/459/1748 / Adult / Antibodies / Antibodies, Viral / Antibody Formation / Australia / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Cancer Research / Clinical trials / Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests / Hemagglutinins / Humans / Immunization / Immunological memory / Immunology / Infections / Infectious Diseases / Influenza / Influenza A / Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / Influenza Vaccines / Influenza, Human - prevention & control / Metabolic Diseases / Molecular Medicine / Neurosciences / Strains (organisms) / Vaccination / Vaccines / Vaccines, Inactivated / Viruses