title: Evaluations for in vitro correlates of immunogenicity of inactivated influenza a H5, H7 and H9 vaccines in humans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum antibody responses in humans to inactivated influenza A (H5N1), (H9N2) and A (H7) vaccines have been varied but frequently low, particularly for subunit vaccines without adjuvant despite hemagglutinin (HA) concentrations expected to induce good responses.
  
  
  METHODS
  To help understand the low responses to subunit vaccines, we evaluated influenza A (H5N1), (H9N2), (H7N7) vaccines and 2009 pandemic (H1N1) vaccines for antigen uptake, processing and presentation by dendritic cells to T cells, conformation of vaccine HA in antibody binding assays and gel analyses, HA titers with different red blood cells, and vaccine morphology in electron micrographs (EM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antigen uptake, processing and presentation of H5, H7, H9 and H1 vaccine preparations evaluated in humans appeared normal. No differences were detected in antibody interactions with vaccine and matched virus; although H7 trimer was not detected in western blots, no abnormalities in the conformation of the HA antigens were identified. The lowest HA titers for the vaccines were <1:4 for the H7 vaccine and 1:661 for an H9 vaccine; these vaccines induced the fewest antibody responses. A (H1N1) vaccines were the most immunogenic in humans; intact virus and virus pieces were prominent in EM. A good immunogenic A (H9N2) vaccine contained primarily particles of viral membrane with external HA and NA. A (H5N1) vaccines intermediate in immunogenicity were mostly indistinct structural units with stellates; the least immunogenic A (H7N7) vaccine contained mostly small 5 to 20 nm structures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antigen uptake, processing and presentation to human T cells and conformation of the HA appeared normal for each inactivated influenza A vaccine. Low HA titer was associated with low immunogenicity and presence of particles or split virus pieces was associated with higher immunogenicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America. rcouch@bcm.edu
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Couch
authors.forename: William K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: Budi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Utama
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Atmar
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niño
authors.forename: Jing Qi
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Matthew M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Halpert
authors.forename: Gillian M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Air
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology; D001717:Birds / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000276:immunology; D053126:Influenza A Virus, H7N7 Subtype / Q000276:immunology; D053127:Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype / Q000276:immunology; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated