title: Whole influenza virus vaccine is more immunogenic than split influenza virus vaccine and induces primarily an IgG2a response in BALB/c mice.
abstract: The aim of this study was to compare the kinetics and the magnitude of the humoral immune response to two different influenza vaccine formulations, whole and split virus vaccines. BALB/c mice were immunized intramuscularly with one or two doses (3 weeks apart) of 7.5, 15 or 30 microg of haemagglutinin of monovalent A/Panama/2007/99 (H3N2) split or whole virus vaccine. The two vaccine formulations induced similar kinetics of the antibody-secreting cells response; however, differences in the magnitude were observed in the spleen and bone marrow. Vaccination with whole virus vaccine generally elicited a quicker and higher neutralizing antibody response, particularly after the first dose of vaccine. The two vaccine formulations gave different immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass profiles. Split virus vaccine stimulated both IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies suggestive of mixed T-helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 response, whereas whole virus vaccine induced mainly an IgG2a antibody response, which is indicative of a dominant Th1 response. The increased immunogenicity of whole virus vaccine in a naïve population could reduce the vaccine concentration needed to provide protective immunity.
authors.affiliation: Influenza Centre, Section for Microbiology and Immunology, The Gade Institute, University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, Norway. arnt-ove.hovden@gades.uib.no
authors.forename: A-O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Hovden
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Haaheim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007252:Influenza Vaccines