title: Age is an important determinant in humoral and T cell responses to immunization with hepatitis B surface antigen.
abstract: The aging of the immune system, also named immunosenescence, affects vaccine responses. However, the onset of age-related immunosenescence has been uncertain, in particularly with regard to vaccine responses. Here, we show that the formation of antibodies in response to vaccination against hepatitis B virus infection was significantly reduced for donors with a mean age of 61 y compared with a group with a mean age of 33 y. Booster vaccination sero-converted the elderly donors, but only at a reduced level, while a stronger response was found for the group of young donors. Agreeing with these findings, the hepatitis B surface antigen-specific proliferative responses by donor-derived T cells were reduced for the elder donors. Interestingly, the association between expression of the adhesion molecule CD62L (L-selectin) on naïve and central memory T cells and the formation of antigen-specific antibodies differed significantly between younger and elder donors. This finding corresponds well with the observation made previously that CD62L gene ablation in animals alters the formation of antigen-specific antibodies. We suggest that a complex interplay between the expression of CD62L and its ligands is a determinant in early-age immunosenescence affecting the response to HBV vaccination.
authors.affiliation: Biophysical Immunology Laboratory; Department of Biomedicine; Aarhus University; Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Nicolai V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Bovin
authors.forename: Lone Valentin
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Bram
authors.forename: Eigil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flyvbjerg
authors.forename: Mogens
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erlandsen
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vorup-Jensen
authors.forename: Eskild
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000276:immunology; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology; D019041:L-Selectin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014611:Vaccination; D064166:Vaccine Potency
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D019041:L-Selectin
keywords: HBsAg; Hepatitis B virus; L-selectin; immunosenescence; vaccination