Immunological memory after exposure to variola virus, monkeypox virus, and vaccinia virus.
We compared cellular and humoral immunity to vaccinia virus (VV) in individuals exposed to 3 different orthopoxviruses: 154 individuals previously vaccinated with VV, 7 individuals with a history of monkeypox virus infection, and 8 individuals with a history of variola virus infection. Among individuals vaccinated >20 years prior, 9 (14%) of 66 individuals demonstrated VV-specific interferon (IFN)- gamma enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay responses; 21 (50%) of 42 had lymphoproliferative (LP) responses, and 29 (97%) of 30 had VV-specific neutralizing antibodies. One year after monkeypox virus infection, 6 of 7 individuals had IFN- gamma ELISPOT responses, all had VV-specific LP responses, and 3 of 7 had VV-specific neutralizing antibodies. Of 8 individuals with a history of variola virus infection, 1 had a VV-specific IFN- gamma ELISPOT response, 4 had LP responses against whole VV, 7 had LP responses against heat-denatured vaccinia antigen, and 7 had VV-specific neutralizing antibodies. Survivors of variola virus infection demonstrated VV-specific CD4 memory cell responses and neutralizing antibodies >40 years after infection.
Sivapalasingam
Sumathi
S
Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. sumathi.sivapalasingam@gmail.com
Kennedy
Jeffrey S
JS
Borkowsky
William
W
Valentine
Fred
F
Zhan
Ming-Xia
MX
Pazoles
Pamela
P
Paolino
Anna
A
Ennis
Francis A
FA
Steigbigel
Neal H
NH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002921:Cicatrix; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018155:Orthopoxvirus / Q000276:immunology*; D011213:Poxviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D045908:Mpox, Monkeypox
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D007371:Interferon-gamma