BCG vaccination induces enhanced frequencies of dendritic cells and altered plasma levels of type I and type III interferons in elderly individuals

Objective BCG can improve the response to vaccines directed against viral infections, and also, BCG vaccination reduces all-cause mortality, most likely by protecting against unrelated infections. However, the effect of BCG vaccination on dendritic cell (DC) subsets is not well characterized. Methods We investigated the impact of BCG vaccination on the frequencies of DC subsets and type I and III interferons (IFNs) using whole blood and plasma samples in a group of elderly individuals (age 60-80 years) at one-month post-vaccination as part of our clinical study to examine the effect of BCG on COVID-19. Results Our results demonstrate that BCG vaccination induced enhanced frequencies of plasmacytoid DC (pDC) and myeloid DC (mDC). BCG vaccination also induced diminished plasma levels of type I IFNs, IFNα and IFNβ but increased levels of type III IFNs, IL-28A and IL-29. Conclusions Thus, BCG vaccination was associated with enhanced DC subsets and IL-28A/IL-29 in elderly individuals, suggesting its ability to induce non-specific innate immune responses.