title: The relationship between influenza vaccine-induced specific antibody responses and vaccine-induced nonspecific autoantibody responses in healthy older women.
abstract: The effect of aging on human humoral immunity was investigated by studying in vivo the relationship between influenza specific antibody responses and nonspecific vaccine-induced autoantibody responses in 32 independent, well-nourished older women volunteers (mean age 86 yr, range 74-97) and 23 young women volunteers (mean age 34 yr, range 23-46). Anti-influenza A/Taiwan/1/86(H1N1) antibody titers were determined by a hemagglutination inhibition test (HI-test), and serum anti-dsDNA antibodies were measured by ELISA prior to, 15, and 30 days after influenza vaccination. The mean postvaccination fold increase (FI) of the anti-influenza antibody response was significantly lower in elderly individuals as compared to younger individuals. In contrast, the mean anti-dsDNA autoantibody level measured 30 days after vaccination was significantly increased in older volunteers as compared to younger ones. There was a significant negative correlation between the level of the FI of the anti-influenza antibody response and the anti-dsDNA antibody response (r = -.441, p less than .01). Our results suggest that the altered influenza specific antibody response was associated with an age-related increase in autoimmunity in aging individuals.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Institutions of Geneva University, Geriatric Hospital, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Y P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gauthey
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loreto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paccaud
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pechere
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Michel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007252:Influenza Vaccines