title: Subsisting H1N1 influenza memory responses are insufficient to protect from pandemic H1N1 influenza challenge in C57BL/6 mice.
abstract: The 2009 swine-origin pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza virus transmitted and caused disease in many individuals immune to pre-2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Whilst extensive studies on antibody-mediated pH1N1 cross-reactivity have been described, few studies have focused on influenza-specific memory T-cells. To address this, the immune response in pre-2009 H1N1 influenza-immune mice was evaluated after pH1N1 challenge and disease pathogenesis was determined. The results show that despite homology shared between pre-2009 H1N1 and pH1N1 strains, the effector memory T-cell response to pre-2009 H1N1 was generally ineffective, a finding that correlated with lung virus persistence. Additionally, pH1N1 challenge generated T-cells reactive to new pH1N1 epitopes. These studies highlight the importance of vaccinating against immunodominant T-cell epitopes to provide for a more effective strategy to control influenza virus through heterosubtypic immunity.
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Leo K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Sage
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tompkins
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Ralph A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Tripp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056738:Cross Protection; D005260:Female; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000276:immunology*; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D019562:Viral Load