title: The antibody response to influenza vaccination is not impaired in type 2 diabetics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetics are considered to be at high risk for complications from influenza infection and type 2 diabetes is a significant comorbidity of obesity. Obesity is an independent risk factor for complications from infection with influenza. Annual vaccination is considered the best strategy for protecting against influenza infection and it's complications. Our previous study reported intact antibody responses 30 days post vaccination in an obese population. This study was designed to determine the antibody response to influenza vaccination in type 2 diabetics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects enrolled were 18 or older without immunosuppressive diseases or taking immunosuppressive medications. A pre-vaccination blood draw was taken at time of enrollment, the subjects received the influenza vaccine and returned 28-32 days later for a post-vaccination blood draw. Height and weight were also obtained at the first visit and BMI was calculated. Antibody levels to the vaccine were determined by both ELISA and hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As reported in our previous work, obesity positively correlates with the influenza antibody response (p=0.02), while age was negatively correlated with antibody response (p<0.001). In both year 1 and year 2 of our study there was no significant difference in the percentage of the type 2 diabetic subjects classified as seroprotected or a responder to the influenza vaccine compared to the non-diabetic subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data are important because they demonstrate that diabetics, considered a high risk group during influenza season, are able to mount an antibody response to influenza vaccination that may protect them from influenza infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Sheridan
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Heather A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Paich
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Handy
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Erik A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schultz-Cherry
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hudgens
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weir
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Noah
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: melinda_beck@unc.edu.
authors.forename: Melinda A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007252:Influenza Vaccines
keywords: Antibody and immune response; Diabetes; Influenza vaccine; Obesity