Cellular immune response following pre-exposure and postexposure rabies vaccination by intradermal and intramuscular routes.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Immunization against rabies in humans induces protective neutralizing antibodies; however, the induction of type 1 or type 2 cytokine mediated cellular immune responses following rabies vaccination is not understood. Hence, the present study investigated cellular cytokine responses in vaccinated individuals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The study groups included healthy rabies antigen naive controls (n=10), individuals who received intradermal primary (n=10) or booster pre-exposure vaccination (n=20) and subjects who received postexposure rabies vaccination either by intradermal (n=18) or intramuscular (n=20) routes. The antigen specific cellular responses were analyzed by stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells with a rabies vaccine antigen in the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay. These responses were compared to the rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA) titers that were measured by rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test.

RESULTS:

We observed that cellular and humoral immune responses to primary intradermal rabies vaccination could be greatly enhanced by a booster vaccine; and both type 1 and type 2 cytokine responses were significantly elevated. The magnitude of type 1 and type 2 cytokine responses did not differ significantly among the intramuscular and intradermal routes of postexposure vaccination. The number of cells producing IFN-γ and IL-4 correlated significantly with the levels of RVNA.

CONCLUSION:

Both type 1 and type 2 cellular cytokine responses are strongly induced after rabies vaccination and directly correlate with levels of RVNA titers. The neutralizing antibody as well as the type 1 and type 2 cytokine responses may be important for vaccine induced protective responses against rabies.

• Authors: Manjunatha Muniswamappa Venkataswamy, Shampur Narayan Madhusudana, Sampada Sudarshan Sanyal, Shaheen Taj, Ashwin Yajaman Belludi, Reeta Subramaniam Mani, Nandita Hazra
• Journal: Clinical and experimental vaccine research (Clin Exp Vaccine Res) Vol. 4 Issue 1 Pg. 68-74 (Jan 2015) ISSN: 2287-3651 [Print] Korea (South)
• PMID: 25649188 (Publication Type: Journal Article)