Serum cytokine levels and antibody response to influenza vaccine in the elderly.
Cytokines play critical roles in regulating the antibody response to vaccines. We sought to understand the role of endogenous cytokines in the determination of antibody production in the elderly, a group of subjects known to have a lower response rate to vaccination. We found that in a healthy elderly group, only 52% of whom responded to the influenza vaccine, endogenous levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-10 and gamma interferon (IFNgamma) did not differ statistically significantly between responders and non-responders (responders: n = 27, IL-6 = 293 +/- 101 pg/ml, IL-10 = 882 +/- 240 pg/ml; nonresponders: n = 26, IL-6 = 223 +/- 71 pg/ml, P = 0.57, IL-10 = 445 +/- 148 pg/ml, mean +/- SE, P = 0.14, respectively, and undetectable IFNgamma). Serum levels of these three cytokines were not changed significantly four weeks after vaccination (P < 0.05 for IL-6 and P < 0.01 for IL-10). In addition, there were also no age-dependent differences in serum IL-6 and IL-10 levels.
Krakauer
T
T
Dept of Molecular Biology and Immunology, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
Russo
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000276:immunology; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D016207:Cytokines; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma