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Despite the benefits of yearly influenza vaccination, accumulating evidence suggests that diminished vaccine efficacy may be related to repeated vaccination. Although studied at the level of B-cell responses, CD4 T-cell responses have not yet been examined. In this study, we analyze CD4 T-cell responses to influenza vaccination in subjects who differ in their vaccine history. We find a striking disparity in their responses, with previously vaccinated subjects exhibiting significantly blunted CD4 T-cell responses and diminished antibody responses. These results suggest that limiting CD4 T-cell help mteaserrlie the diminished or altered antibody responses in repeatedly vaccinated subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited information on the antigen specificity and functional potential of the influenza virus-specific CD4+ T-cell repertoire in humans. Here, enzyme-linked immunospot assays were used to examine circulating CD4+ T-cell specificities for influenza virus directly ex vivo in healthy adults. Our studies revealed CD4+ T-cell reactivity to multiple influenza virus proteins, including hemagglutinins, neuraminidases, M1 proteins, and nucleoproteins. Unexpectedly, the immunodominance hierarchies and functional potential of cells reactive toward influenza A virus were distinct from those toward influenza B virus. We also identified influenza virus-specific cells producing granzyme B. Our findings revealed individual and virus-specific patterns that may differentially poise humans to respond to infection or vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Influenza A pandemics cause significant mortality and morbidity. H2N2 viruses have caused a prior pandemic, and are circulating in avian reservoirs. The age-related frequency of current population immunity to H2 viruses was evaluated.Methods: Hemagglutinin inhibition (HAI) assays against historical human and recent avian influenza A(H2N2) viruses were performed across age groups in Rochester, New York, and Hong Kong, China. The impact of existing cross-reactive HAI immunity on the effective reproduction number was modeled.Results: One hundred fifty individual sera from Rochester and 295 from Hong Kong were included. Eighty-five percent of patients born in Rochester and Hong Kong before 1968 had HAI titers ≥1:40 against A/Singapore/1/57, and >50% had titers ≥1:40 against A/Berkeley/1/68. The frequency of titers ≥1:40 to avian H2N2 A/mallard/England/727/06 and A/mallard/Netherlands/14/07 in subjects born before 1957 was 62% and 24%, respectively. There were no H2 HAI titers >1:40 in individuals born after 1968. These levels of seroprevalence reduce the initial reproduction number of A/Singapore/1/1957 or A/Berkeley/1/68 by 15%-20%. A basic reproduction number (R0) of the emerging transmissible virus <1.2 predicts a preventable pandemic.Conclusions: Population immunity to H2 viruses is insufficient to block epidemic spread of H2 virus. An H2N2 pandemic would have lower impact in those born before 1968. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effectiveness of influenza vaccine during 2015-2016 was reduced in some age groups as compared to that in previous 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus (A[H1N1]pdm09 virus)-predominant seasons. We hypothesized that the age at first exposure to specific influenza A(H1N1) viruses could influence vaccine effectiveness (VE).Methods: We estimated the effectiveness of influenza vaccine against polymerase chain reaction-confirmed influenza A(H1N1)pdm09-associated medically attended illness from the 2010-2011 season through the 2015-2016 season, according to patient birth cohort using data from the Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network. Birth cohorts were defined a priori on the basis of likely immunologic priming with groups of influenza A(H1N1) viruses that circulated during 1918-2015. VE was calculated as 100 × [1 - adjusted odds ratio] from logistic regression models comparing the odds of vaccination among influenza virus-positive versus influenza test-negative patients.Results: A total of 2115 A(H1N1)pdm09 virus-positive and 14 696 influenza virus-negative patients aged ≥6 months were included. VE was 61% (95% confidence interval [CI], 56%-66%) against A(H1N1)pdm09-associated illness during the 2010-2011 through 2013-2014 seasons, compared with 47% (95% CI, 36%-56%) during 2015-2016. During 2015-2016, A(H1N1)pdm09-specific VE was 22% (95% CI, -7%-43%) among adults born during 1958-1979 versus 61% (95% CI, 54%-66%) for all other birth cohorts combined.Conclusion: Findings suggest an association between reduced VE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09-related illness during 2015-2016 and early exposure to specific influenza A(H1N1) viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of avian H7N9 viruses has raised concerns about its pandemic potential and prompted vaccine trials. At present, it is unknown whether there will be sufficient cross-reactive hemagglutinin (HA)-specific CD4 T-cell memory with seasonal influenza to facilitate antibody production to H7 HA. There has also been speculation that H7N9 will have few CD4 T-cell epitopes. In this study, we quantified the potential of seasonal influenza to provide memory CD4 T cells that can cross-reactively recognize H7 HA-derived peptides. These studies have revealed that many humans have substantial H7-reactive CD4 T cells, whereas up to 40% are lacking such reactivity. Correlation studies indicate that CD4 T cells reactive with H7 HA are drawn from reactivity generated from seasonal strains. Overall, our findings suggest that previous exposure of humans to seasonal influenza can poise them to respond to avian H7N9, but this is likely to be uneven across populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Previous priming with avian influenza vaccines results in more rapid and more robust neutralizing antibody responses upon revaccination, but the role CD4+ T cells play in this process is not currently known. Methods. Human subjects previously enrolled in trials of inactivated influenza A(H5N1) vaccines and naive subjects were immunized with an inactivated subunit influenza A/Indonesia/5/05(H5N1) vaccine. Neutralizing antibody responses were measured by a microneutralization assay, and hemagglutinin (HA)-specific and nucleoprotein (NP)-specific CD4+ T-cell responses were quantified using interferon γ enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assays. Results. While vaccination induced barely detectable CD4+ T-cell responses specific for HA in the previously unprimed group, primed subjects had readily detectable HA-specific memory CD4+ T cells at baseline and mounted a more robust response to HA-specific epitopes after vaccination. There were no differences between groups when conserved NP-specific CD4+ T-cell responses were examined. Interestingly, neutralizing antibody responses following revaccination were significantly higher in individuals who mounted a CD4+ T-cell response to the H5 HA protein, a correlation not observed for NP-specific responses. Conclusions. These findings suggest that prepandemic vaccination results in an enriched population of HA-specific CD4+ T cells that are recruited on rechallenge with a drifted vaccine variant and contribute to more robust and more rapid neutralizing antibody responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Vaccines against norovirus, the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis, should protect against medically significant illness and reduce transmission.Methods. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 18- to 50-year-olds received 2 injections of placebo or norovirus GI.1/GII.4 bivalent vaccine-like particle (VLP) vaccine with 3-O-desacyl-4′-monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and alum. Participants were challenged as inpatients with GII.4 virus (4400 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] units), and monitored for illness and infection.Results. Per protocol, 27 of 50 (54.0%) vaccinees and 30 of 48 (62.5%) controls were infected. Using predefined illness and infection definitions, vaccination did not meet the primary endpoint, but self-reported cases of severe (0% vaccinees vs 8.3% controls; P = .054), moderate or greater (6.0% vs 18.8%; P = .068), and mild or greater severity of vomiting and/or diarrhea (20.0% vs 37.5%; P = .074) were less frequent. Vaccination also reduced the modified Vesikari score from 7.3 to 4.5 (P = .002). Difficulties encountered were low norovirus disease rate, and inability to define illness by quantitative RT-PCR or further antibody rise in vaccinees due to high vaccine-induced titers. By day 10, 11 of 49 (22.4%) vaccinees were shedding virus compared with 17 of 47 (36.2%) placebo recipients (P = .179).Conclusions. Bivalent norovirus VLP vaccine reduced norovirus-related vomiting and/or diarrhea; field efficacy studies are planned.Clinical Trials Registration. NCT01609257. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) and inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) are available for children. Local and systemic immunity induced by LAIV followed a month later by LAIV and IIV followed by LAIV were investigated with virus recovery after LAIV doses as surrogates for protection against influenza on natural exposure.Methods: Fifteen children received IIV followed by LAIV, 13 an initial dose of LAIV, and 11 a second dose of LAIV. The studies were done during autumn 2009 and autumn 2010 with the same seasonal vaccine (A/California/07/09 [H1N1], A/Perth/16/09 [H3N2], B/Brisbane/60/08).Results: Twenty-eight of 39 possible influenza viral strains were recovered after the initial dose of LAIV. When LAIV followed IIV, 21 of 45 viral strains were identified. When compared to primary LAIV infection, the decreased frequency of shedding with the IIV-LAIV schedule was significant (P = .023). With LAIV-LAIV, the fewest viral strains were recovered (3/33)--numbers significantly lower (P < .001) than shedding after initial LAIV and after IIV-LAIV (P < .001). Serum hemagglutination inhibition antibody responses were more frequent after IIV than LAIV (P = .02). In contrast, more mucosal immunoglobulin A responses were seen with LAIV.Conclusions: LAIV priming induces greater inhibition of virus recovery on LAIV challenge than IIV priming. The correlate(s) of protection are the subject of ongoing analysis.Clinical Trials Registration: NCT01246999. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Noroviruses are the most important viral causes of gastroenteritis-related morbidity and mortality. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated an adjuvanted bivalent intramuscular norovirus virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine.Methods: Forty-eight adults aged 18-49 years received either 2 doses containing genotype GI.1 VLP and a consensus GII.4 VLP or 2 doses of placebo. Doses (5 µg, 15 µg, 50 µg, or 150 µg of each VLP) were administered 4 weeks apart in the first stage. Subsequently, 54 adults, aged 18-49 (n=16), 50-64 (n=19), and 65-85 (n=19) years, received 2 doses of vaccine containing 50 µg of each VLP. Total and class-specific antibody responses, as well as histoblood group antigen (HBGA) blocking antibody responses, were measured before and after each dose.Results: Local reactions were mainly injection site pain/tenderness, with no reported fever or vaccine-related serious adverse events. One dose of vaccine containing 50 µg of each VLP increased GI.1 geometric mean titers (GMTs) by 118-fold, 83-fold, and 24-fold and increased GII.4 GMTs by 49-fold, 25-fold, and 9-fold in subjects aged 18-49, 50-64, and 65-83 years, respectively. Serum antibody responses peaked at day 7 after the first dose, with no evidence of boosting following a second dose. Most subjects achieved HBGA-blocking antibody titers of ≥200.Conclusions: The vaccine was well tolerated and immunogenic. Rapid immune response to a single dose may be particularly useful in military personnel and travelers and in the control of outbreaks. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT01168401. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The generation of heterovariant immunity is a highly desirable feature of influenza vaccines. The goal of this study was to compare the heterovariant B-cell response induced by the monovalent inactivated 2009 pandemic influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A[H1N1]pdm09) vaccine with that induced by the 2009 seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine (sTIV) containing a seasonal influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A[H1N1]) component in young and elderly adults.Methods. Plasmablast-derived polyclonal antibodies (PPAb) from young and elderly recipients of A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine or sTIV were tested for binding activity to various influenza antigens.Results. In A(H1N1)pdm09 recipients, the PPAb titers against homotypic A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine were similar to those against the heterovariant seasonal A(H1N1) vaccine and were similar between young and elderly subjects. The PPAb avidity was higher among elderly individuals, compared with young individuals. In contrast, the young sTIV recipients had 10-fold lower heterovariant PPAb titers against the A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine than against the homotypic seasonal A(H1N1) vaccine. In binding assays with recombinant head and stalk domains of hemagglutinin, PPAb from the A(H1N1)pdm09 recipients but not PPAb from the sTIV recipients bound to the conserved stalk domain.Conclusion. The A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine induced production of PPAb with heterovariant reactivity, including antibodies targeting the conserved hemagglutinin stalk domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The ability of influenza vaccines to elicit CD4+ T cells and the relationship between induction of CD4+ T cells and vaccine-induced neutralizing antibody responses has been controversial. The emergence of swine-origin 2009 pandemic influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A[H1N1]pdm09) provided a unique opportunity to examine responses to an influenza vaccine composed of both novel and previously encountered antigens and to probe the relationship between B-cell and T-cell responses to vaccination.Methods. We tracked CD4+ T-cell and antibody responses of human subjects vaccinated with monovalent subunit A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine. The specificity and magnitude of the CD4+ T-cell response was evaluated using cytokine enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assays in conjugation with peptide pools representing distinct influenza virus proteins.Results. Our studies revealed that vaccination induced readily detectable CD4+ T cells specific for conserved portions of hemagglutinin (HA) and the internal viral proteins. Interestingly, expansion of HA-specific CD4+ T cells was most tightly correlated with the antibody response.Conclusions. These results indicate that CD4+ T-cell expansion may be a limiting factor in development of neutralizing antibody responses to pandemic influenza vaccines and suggest that approaches to facilitate CD4+ T-cell recruitment may increase the neutralizing antibody produced in response to vaccines against novel influenza strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has shown promise as an adjuvant to improve the kinetics and magnitude of the immune response after vaccination. It was hypothesized that GM-CSF given intramuscularly (IM) with hepatitis B vaccine would result in increased seroconversion rates and antibody titers. In total, 108 healthy volunteers (18-45 years old) received recombinant hepatitis B vaccine IM at 0, 1, and 6 months and were randomized to receive either concurrent GM-CSF (80 or 250 mg) or placebo IM with the first two vaccinations. The percentages of subjects achieving a protective level of antibody at day 56 were 58.3%, 58.8%, and 58.3% in the placebo and 80- and 250-mg GM-CSF arms, respectively. The geometric mean titers of antibody measured on days 28, 56, and 189 were not statistically different between arms. GM-CSF given immediately before recombinant hepatitis B vaccination was safe and well tolerated but did not appear to provide significant adjuvant activity at this dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the detection of intracellular antigen-specific cytokines in human T cell populations. Mitogens enhanced cytokine production in vitro; Long-term antigen stimulation of lymphocytes with mitogen restimulation elicits cytokine expression; Detection of cytokine production in naive and memory subsets; Vaccine-induced cytokine responses.

In a prospective double-blind trial, the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of recombinant baculovirus influenza A vaccines containing purified full-length hemagglutinin (HA) were compared with standard trivalent inactivated vaccine (TIY). The recombinant baculovirus influenza A vaccines (THAO)were monovalent (containing 45 µg of A/Beijing/92[H3] and 15,45, and 135 µg of A/Texas/ 91[H1)) and bivalent (containing 45 µg of both A/Beijing/92 and A/Texas/91). The bivalent rHAO vaccine produced fewer local side effects than the TIY (50% vs. 88%, P = .003). The hemagglutinin inhibition (HAl) responses (defined as a ⩾4 increase in HAl) to A/Beijing rHAO in the monovalent A/Beijing/92, the bivalent vaccine, and the TIY were 68%, 76%, and 46%, respectively (P = .086). Increasing doses of A/Texas rHAO (15 µg [60%], 45 µg [69%], and 135 µg [76%)) and bivalent HA (76%) gave better immunologic responses to H1 than did TIY (31%; P = .003). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Healthy subjects <45 years old (young adults) or >65 (elderly adults) were randomized in double-blind fashion to receive intramuscularly subvirion trivalent influenza vaccine, placebo, or 15,45, or 135 µg of the hemagglutinin (HA) of the influenza A/Beijing/32/92 (H3N2) virus expressed in insect cells by a recombinant baculovirus (rHAO). All vaccines were well tolerated. Both young and elderly adults manifested serum hemagglutination-inhibition, virus neutralizing, and HA-specific IgG ELISA antibody responses to rHAO vaccine. In young adults given 135 µg of rHA0, the vaccine was significantly more immunogenic than subvirion influenza vaccine. Elderly adults also had increased antibody responses to 135 μg of rHA0 compared with subvirion vaccine, but the difference was not statistically significant. These results demonstrate that high-dose rHA0 vaccines are well tolerated and effectively induce both functional and binding serum HA-specific antibody in young and elderly adults. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Live attenuated, cold-adapted (ca) monovalent and bivalent influenza A vaccines were evaluated in seronegative infants (ages 6–18 months) in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial to assess safety and immunogenicity. A total of 182 seronegative subjects received a single intranasal dose (106.2 TCID50) of ca A/Kawasaki/9/86 (H1N1) or ca A/LosAngeles/2/87 (H3N2), both as a bivalent vaccine, or placebo. Respiratory and systemic symptoms did not differ between groups after vaccination. Hemagglutination antibody seroconversions (⩾1:8)to H3N2 exceeded 90%. In contrast, seroconversions to A/Kawasaki/9/86 (HINl) were significantly less frequent in bivalent ca vaccine recipients (31%) than in monovalent ca H1N1 recipients (83%) (P < .002). During a subsequent H3N2 epidemic, nasal washes were cultured for viruses from any subject with respiratory illness. H3N2 infections documented by virus isolation were reduced by 65% in ca H3N2 recipients compared with placebo or ca H1N1 recipients (P = .01). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study evaluated the safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of vaccines containing purified recombinant uncleaved hemagglutinin (rHAO)from influenza A/Beijing/32/92 (H3N2) virus. In a randomized, double-blinded trial, 127 adult volunteers were immunized with 15 µg of rHAO, 15 µg of rHAO plus alum, 90 µg of rHAO, licensed subvirion vaccine, or saline placebo. The rHAO vaccines caused fewer local adverse reactions than did the commercial subvirion preparation. Neutralizing hemagglutinin-specific antibody responses to 15 µg of rHAO were comparable to those elicited by licensed vaccine, not enhanced by the addition of alum, and significantly increased by raising the rHAO dose from 15 to 90 µg. Compared with placebo recipients, rHAO-vaccinated subjects had significantly lower rates of influenza A (H3N2) virus infection and illness during the epidemic winter season. These results suggest that influenza vaccines containing purified rHAOmay offer an advantage over licensed preparations containing egg-grown antigens by inducing equivalent protective immune responses while being potentially less reactogenic. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The safety and immunogenicity of a new cold-adapted reassortant influenza B/Yamagata/10/88 virus vaccine was evaluated in healthy young adults with low levels of preinoculation serum antibody to the vaccine virus, and symptoms and viral shedding after vaccination were compared with those following administration of the homologous BjYamagata/88 wild-type virus. Administration of the cold-adapted virus was well tolerated and resulted in a significantly lower frequency of respiratory symptoms and viral shedding than did the wild-type virus. Twelve of 14 subjects who received the cold-adapted virus had an antibody response to the vaccine virus following vaccination. These data suggest that the B/Yamagata/88 virus is safe and immunogenic in seronegative adults and support the concept that the attenuation phenotype can be transferred reliably and reproducibly to successive new influenza B wild-type viruses along with the six internal gene segments of the cold-adapted influenza BjAnn Arbor/l/66 master vaccine virus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Considerable information has recently emerged regarding certain “groups” of novel viruses associated with gastroenteritis in humans. The viruses reviewed here are 20–35 nm in diameter and can be detected in the stools of acutely ill individuals with gastroenteritis. These viruses can be conveniently divided into four “groups”: (1) Norwalk-like agents, (2) caliciviruses, (3) astroviruses, and (4) other small round viruses. The evidence for the etiologic association of these agents with gastroenteritis varies from agent to agent but is most extensive for the Norwalk-like agents, of which the Norwalk serotype is a major cause of epidemic gastroenteritis. Human caliciviruses appear to be relatively common causes of gastroenteritis in children, particularly in Japan and the United Kingdom. Astroviruses have been reported as occasional causes of gastroenteritis in children and adults in various parts of the world. The epidemiological significance of the other small round viruses is unknown. Because of the difficulty of cultivating these agents in vitro, biochemical and antigenic characterization of these agents is incomplete. An understanding of the pathogenesis of disease and of the roles of immune responses to infection is similarly at a primitive stage. The recent development of sensitive and efficient assays for detection of several of these agents and the reports that certain strains of human caliciviruses and astroviruses can be cultivated in vitro should facilitate characterization and epidemiological studies of these agents. Systematic, prospective epidemiological studies of these agents in well-defined populations of various age groups are sorely needed for definition of the relative importance of each agent in human disease. Such information is essential for the consideration of appropriate control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Middle ear pressure (MEP) abnormalities are frequently observed during influenza virus infection and may serve as surrogate markers for the risk of otitis media. MEP abnormalities were evaluated in adult volunteers who were inoculated with influenza A/Texas/36/91(H1N1) or B/Yamagata/88 virus and given the antiviral zanamivir (GG167) intranasally as prophylaxis or early treatment in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. In the influenza A prophylaxis studies, 15% of 61 zanamivir recipients versus 61% of 33 placebo recipients showed significant MEP abnormalities (P < .01). In the influenza A early treatment trial, 32% of 31 infected zanamivir recipients versus 73% of 26 infected placebo recipients developed MEP abnormalities (P < .01). In the influenza B prophylaxis trial, 16% of 25 zanamivir versus 44% of 9 placebo recipients showed abnormalities (P < .09). These findings indicate that the neuraminidase inhibitor zanamivir, which is effective in reducing experimental influenza illness, provides protection against the development of MEP abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: Previous priming with avian influenza vaccines results in more rapid and more robust neutralizing antibody responses upon revaccination, but the role CD4(+) T cells play in this process is not currently known., Methods: Human subjects previously enrolled in trials of inactivated influenza A(H5N1) vaccines and naive subjects were immunized with an inactivated subunit influenza A/Indonesia/5/05(H5N1) vaccine. Neutralizing antibody responses were measured by a microneutralization assay, and hemagglutinin (HA)-specific and nucleoprotein (NP)-specific CD4(+) T-cell responses were quantified using interferon γ enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assays., Results: While vaccination induced barely detectable CD4(+) T-cell responses specific for HA in the previously unprimed group, primed subjects had readily detectable HA-specific memory CD4(+) T cells at baseline and mounted a more robust response to HA-specific epitopes after vaccination. There were no differences between groups when conserved NP-specific CD4(+) T-cell responses were examined. Interestingly, neutralizing antibody responses following revaccination were significantly higher in individuals who mounted a CD4(+) T-cell response to the H5 HA protein, a correlation not observed for NP-specific responses., Conclusions: These findings suggest that prepandemic vaccination results in an enriched population of HA-specific CD4(+) T cells that are recruited on rechallenge with a drifted vaccine variant and contribute to more robust and more rapid neutralizing antibody responses., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)