T-cell responses following Natural Influenza Infection or Vaccination in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.

Abstract

Little is known about cell-mediated immune responses to natural influenza infection in solid organ transplant (SOT) patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the CD4+ and CD8+ responses to influenza A and B infection in a cohort of SOT patients. We collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells at influenza diagnosis and four weeks later from 31 SOT patients during the 2017-2018 influenza season. Infection-elicited influenza-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses were measured using flow cytometry and intracellular cytokine staining and compared to responses following influenza vaccine in SOT patients. Natural infection was associated with a significant increase in CD4+ T-cell responses. For example, polyfunctional cells increased from 21 to 782 and from 193 to 1436 cells per 106 CD4+ T-cells among influenza A/H3N2 and B-infected patients (p = 0.006 and 0.004 respectively). Moreover, infection-elicited CD4+ responses were superior than vaccine-elicited responses for influenza A/H1N1 (931 vs 1; p = 0.026), A/H3N2 (647 vs 1; p = 0.041) and B (619 vs 1; p = 0.004). Natural influenza infection triggers a significant increase in CD4+ T-cell responses in SOT patients. Infection elicits significantly stronger CD4+ responses compared to the influenza vaccine and thereby likely elicits better protection against reinfection.

• Authors: Arnaud G L'Huillier, Victor H Ferreira, Cedric Hirzel, Srinivas Nellimarla, Terrance Ku, Yoichiro Natori, Atul Humar, Deepali Kumar
• Journal: Scientific reports (Sci Rep) Vol. 10 Issue 1 Pg. 10104 (06 22 2020) ISSN: 2045-2322 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 32572168 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Influenza Vaccines

Topics

• Adult
• B-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• Cohort Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Immunity, Cellular (immunology)
• Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype (immunology)
• Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype (immunology)
• Influenza A virus (immunology, pathogenicity)
• Influenza Vaccines (immunology)
• Influenza, Human (immunology)
• Leukocytes, Mononuclear (immunology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Organ Transplantation (methods)
• T-Lymphocytes (immunology, virology)
• Transplant Recipients
• Transplants (immunology)
• Vaccination