title: Immune cell activation and cytokine release after stimulation of whole blood with pneumococcal C-polysaccharide and capsular polysaccharides.
abstract: Streptococcus pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children and adults worldwide. Lack of fully effective pneumococcal vaccines is a problem. Streptococcus pneumoniae exposes on its surface C-polysaccharide (cell wall polysaccharide, CWPS) and serospecific capsular polysaccharides, used in pneumococcal vaccines. We investigated the effect of CWPS and individual capsular polysaccharides, with regard to activation of subsets of immune cells of healthy controls. Three different capsular polysaccharides, CWPS and LPS were used for in vitro stimulation of whole blood. Cell activation (CD69 expression) was assessed in CD4+ and CD4- T cells, NK-like T cells, NK cells and monocytes by flow cytometry. Cytokine levels in supernatants were quantified by Cytometric Bead Array (CBA). CWPS and the capsules activated immune cell subsets, but to different degrees. NK cells and NK-like T cells showed the strongest activation, followed by monocytes. Among the three capsules, capsule type 23 induced the strongest activation and cytokine release, followed by type 9 and type 3. This study increases the understanding of how the human immune system reacts to pneumococcal vaccine components.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine Solna and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Lung Allergy Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: Marianne.sundberg-kovamees@karolinska.se.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sundberg-Kövamees
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine Solna and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Lung Allergy Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grunewald
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine Solna and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: jan.wahlstrom@ki.se.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wahlström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016207:Cytokines; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D000099192:CD69 Antigens; C027158:polysaccharide C-substance (Streptococcus)
keywords: cytokines; immune cells; pneumococcal C-polysaccharide; pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides