title: Humoral and B-cell memory responses in children five years after pertussis acellular vaccine priming.
abstract: The resurgence of pertussis suggests the need for greater efforts in understanding the long-lasting protective responses induced by vaccination. In this paper we dissect the persistence of humoral and B-cell memory responses induced by primary vaccination with two different acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines, hexavalent Hexavac(®) vaccine (Hexavac) (Sanofi Pasteur MSD) and Infanrix hexa(®) (Infanrix) (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals). We evaluated the specific immune responses in the two groups of children, 5 years after primary vaccination by measuring the persistence of IgG and antibody secreting cells (ASC) specific for vaccine antigens. Part of the enrolled children received only primary vaccination, while others had the pre-school boost dose. A similar level of antigen-specific IgG and ASC was found in Infanrix and Hexavac vaccinated children. The mean IgG levels were significantly higher in children that received the pre-school boost as compared with children that did not receive the boost dose. A longer persistence after the pre-school boost of IgG-Pertussis Toxin (PT) and IgG-pertactin levels was observed in Infanrix primed children, but it was not statistically significant. More than 80% of children presented a positive ASC B memory response. Around 50% of children still presented protective IgG-PT levels which are reduced to 36% in no-boosted children. The pre-school booster dose restores the percentage of protected children above 50%. In conclusion our data underline the importance of giving a booster dose 5 years after primary vaccination and suggest the need for a new vaccine able to induce a long lasting protective response.
authors.affiliation: Anti-Infectious Immunity Unit, Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carollo
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, Research Center, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Piazza S.Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pandolfi
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, Research Center, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Piazza S.Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto Eugenio
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Tozzi
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease and Control (Cib), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Buisman
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Vaccinology and Mucosal Immunity and Immunobiology Clinic- Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Campus Erasme, 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mascart
authors.affiliation: Anti-Infectious Immunity Unit, Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: clara.ausiello@iss.it.
authors.forename: Clara Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ausiello
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D022681:Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular Pertussis Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008297:Male; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D022681:Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular Pertussis Vaccines; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; C426944:Hexavac; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated
keywords: Antibodies; Booster vaccination; Children; Memory B-cell immune response; Pertussis; Vaccination