A pilot study showing differences in glycosylation patterns of IgG subclasses induced by pneumococcal, meningococcal, and two types of influenza vaccines.
The presence of a carbohydrate moiety on asparagine 297 in the Fc part of an IgG molecule is essential for its effector functions and thus influences its vaccine protective effect. Detailed structural carbohydrate analysis of vaccine induced IgGs is therefore of interest as this knowledge can prove valuable in vaccine research and design and when optimizing vaccine schedules. In order to better understand and exploit the protective potential of IgG antibodies, we carried out a pilot study; collecting serum or plasma from volunteers receiving different vaccines and determining the IgG subclass glycosylation patterns against specific vaccine antigens at different time points using LC-ESI-MS analysis. The four vaccines included a pneumococcal capsule polysaccharide vaccine, a meningococcal outer membrane vesicle vaccine, a seasonal influenza vaccine, and a pandemic influenza vaccine. The number of volunteers was limited, but the results following immunization indicated that the IgG subclass which dominated the response showed increased galactose and the level of sialic acid increased with time for most vaccinees. Fucose levels increased for some vaccinees but in general stayed relatively unaltered. The total background IgG glycosylation analyzed in parallel varied little with time and hence the changes seen were likely to be caused by vaccination. The presence of an adjuvant in the pandemic influenza vaccine seemed to produce simpler and less varied glycoforms compared to the adjuvant-free seasonal influenza vaccine. This pilot study demonstrates that detailed IgG glycosylation pattern analysis might be a necessary step in addition to biological testing for optimizing vaccine development and strategies.
Department of Bacteriology & Immunology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health Oslo, Norway ; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo Oslo, Norway.
Anne Cathrine
AC
Vestrheim
Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo Oslo, Norway.
Anders
A
Moen
Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo Oslo, Norway.
Wolfgang
W
Egge-Jacobsen
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo Oslo, Norway.
Leon
L
Reubsaet
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo Oslo, Norway.
Trine Grønhaug
TG
Halvorsen
Department of Bacteriology & Immunology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health Oslo, Norway.
Diane Bryant
DB
Bratlie
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo Oslo, Norway.
Berit Smestad
BS
Paulsen
Department of Bacteriology & Immunology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health Oslo, Norway ; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo Oslo, Norway.
Terje Einar
TE
Michaelsen
Antibodies; human and glycosylation; immunology; vaccination