title: Identification of pertussis-specific effector memory T cells in preschool children.
abstract: Whooping cough remains a problem despite vaccination, and worldwide resurgence of pertussis is evident. Since cellular immunity plays a role in long-term protection against pertussis, we studied pertussis-specific T-cell responses. Around the time of the preschool acellular pertussis (aP) booster dose at 4 years of age, T-cell memory responses were compared in children who were primed during infancy with either a whole-cell pertussis (wP) or an aP vaccine. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated and stimulated with pertussis vaccine antigens for 5 days. T cells were characterized by flow-based analysis of carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) dilution and CD4, CD3, CD45RA, CCR7, gamma interferon (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) expression. Before the aP preschool booster vaccination, both the proliferated pertussis toxin (PT)-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell fractions (CFSE(dim)) were higher in aP- than in wP-primed children. Post-booster vaccination, more pertussis-specific CD4(+) effector memory cells (CD45RA(-) CCR7(-)) were induced in aP-primed children than in those primed with wP. The booster vaccination did not appear to significantly affect the T-cell memory subsets and functionality in aP-primed or wP-primed children. Although the percentages of Th1 cytokine-producing cells were alike in aP- and wP-primed children pre-booster vaccination, aP-primed children produced more Th1 cytokines due to higher numbers of proliferated pertussis-specific effector memory cells. At present, infant vaccinations with four aP vaccines in the first year of life result in pertussis-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) effector memory T-cell responses that persist in children until 4 years of age and are higher than those in wP-primed children. The booster at 4 years of age is therefore questionable; this may be postponed to 6 years of age.
authors: Center for Infectious Diseases Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands Lia.de.Rond@rivm.nl.
authors: Lia
authors: L
authors: de Rond
authors: Center for Infectious Diseases Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Rose-Minke
authors: RM
authors: Schure
authors: Center for Infectious Diseases Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Kemal
authors: K
authors: Öztürk
authors: Center for Infectious Diseases Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Guy
authors: G
authors: Berbers
authors: Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Elisabeth
authors: E
authors: Sanders
authors: Center for Infectious Diseases Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Inonge
authors: I
authors: van Twillert
authors: Anti-Infectious Immunity Unit, Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Carollo
authors: Laboratory for Vaccinology and Mucosal Immunity, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Françoise
authors: F
authors: Mascart
authors: Anti-Infectious Immunity Unit, Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors: Clara M
authors: CM
authors: Ausiello
authors: Center for Infectious Diseases Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Cecile A C M
authors: CA
authors: van Els
authors: Laboratory for Vaccinology and Mucosal Immunity, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Kaat
authors: K
authors: Smits
authors: Center for Infectious Diseases Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Anne-Marie
authors: AM
authors: Buisman
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D054400:Receptors, CCR7 / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D022282:Vaccines, Acellular / Q000276:immunology; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C515370:CCR7 protein, human; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine; D054400:Receptors, CCR7; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D022282:Vaccines, Acellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens