title: The B-cell response to a primary and booster course of MenACWY-CRM₁₉₇ vaccine administered at 2, 4 and 12 months of age.
abstract: A quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine conjugated to CRM197 (MenACWY-CRM197) is immunogenic in young infants. We assessed the memory B-cell and antibody responses after a primary and booster course of MenACWY-CRM197 in children. At 5 months of age, following primary immunisation, serogroup-specific memory B-cells were detectable in fewer than 25% of children, although protective antibody titres (hSBA ≥ 4) were detectable in 69% of children against serogroup A and more than 95% against the other serogroups. At 12 months, before booster immunisation the percentages with hSBA ≥ 4 were 5% for serogroup A, and between 44 and 70% for the other serogroups. One month after booster immunisation with MenACWY-CRM197 over 50% of children had detectable memory B-cells, and 91% had hSBA ≥ 4 against serogroup A and more than 99% against the other serogroups. These data show that few antigen-specific anticapsular memory B-cells can be detected after two-doses priming with MenACWY-CRM197. For MenC and CRM197, the antigens with the highest number of B-cells at 5 months, there was a definite (p ≤0 .02) but weak correlation with antibody persistence at 12 months. Although previous studies suggest that measuring memory B-cell responses after priming immunisations in infancy can be used to predict antibody persistence and memory responses, this may not be suitable for all antigens in young children.
authors.affiliation: Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. geraldine.blanchardrohner@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Geraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blanchard-Rohner
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Snape
authors.forename: Dominic F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Tessa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Clutterbuck
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ohene-Kena
authors.forename: Chaam L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Klinger
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Odrljin
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pollard
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C525703:MenACWY; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate; C028581:CRM197 (non-toxic variant of diphtheria toxin)