Project description:Systems approaches have been used to describe molecular signatures driving immunity to influenza vaccination in humans. Whether such signatures are similar across multiple seasons, and in diverse populations is unknown. We applied systems approaches to study immune responses in young and, elderly subjects vaccinated with the seasonal influenza vaccine across 5 consecutive seasons. During the 2009 Influenza season, healthy adults were vaccinated with TIV, and blood samples isolated at days 0, 3, 7 post-vaccination. Microarrays were performed using total RNA extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of vaccinees.
Project description:The normal response to influenza A infection is to remain asymptomatic; indeed, a study of volunteers who tested positive for antibodies against 2009 H1N1 revealed that a majority did not experience symptoms. However, studies of influenza pandemics since the 20th century, and to a lesser degree seasonal flu, suggest that pregnancy increases influenza-associated morbidity and mortality. The confounding effect of pregnancy has been well established to adversely alter the clinical course of influenza, with short term complications to mother and baby apparent, and long-term consequences to the fetus hypothesized. However, how the condition of pregnancy impacts long-term maternal anti-influenza immunity remains contentious; while vaccination studies suggest humoral responses sufficient for protection, published research on adaptive immune responses against influenza formed during pregnancy is limited. This study expands upon published work from our lab and others by comprehensively examining compartmental and systemic changes following pandemic A/California/07/2009 influenza infection. Previously, we linked seasonal influenza infection to clinical observations of adverse outcomes in pregnancy, enhanced lung and placental histopathology, and reduced control of viral replication in lungs of infected pregnant mothers. Here, we observe that the results of a lower infectious dose of pandemic influenza are similar to that of seasonal influenza. Importantly, we expand upon work which suggests infection during pregnancy may also affect humoral immunity. Our observations of reduced early antibody hemagglutinin inhibition and virus neutralization which resolved within 8 weeks of delivery demonstrate that influenza infection impacts antibody maturation mechanisms without alterations to B cell frequency or antibody secretion. This hypothesis is further supported by plasmablast transcriptional data, which demonstrates downregulated B cell metabolism and post-translational modification systems only among pregnant animals. These findings corroborate a link between adverse pregnancy outcomes and severe pathology observed during influenza infection, and propose resolving humoral deficiencies following influenza infection confounded by pregnancy. Additional studies are required to specify the involvement of plasmablast metabolism with early humoral immunity abnormalities to best guide vaccination strategies and improve our understanding of the immunological consequences of pregnancy.
Project description:The objective of this study is to: 1) Characterize the cellular origin of transciptional signatures observed on day 1 after vaccination with 2009/10 seasonal influenza and pneumococcal vaccine discovered by transcriptional profiling of whole blood samples in data set “WholeBlood_SysVax”. 2) Discover potential biomarkers for immune-responsiveness to non-live vaccines.
Project description:Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dendritic cell (DC) vaccination against HIV-1 on host gene expression profiles. Design: Longitudinal PBMC samples were collected from participants of the DC-TRN trial for immunotherapy against HIV. Microarray-assisted gene expression profiling was performed to evaluate the effects of vaccination and subsequent interruption of antiretroviral therapy on host genome expression. Data from the DC-TRN trial were compared with results from other vaccination trials. Methods: We used Affymetrix GeneChips for microarray gene expression analysis. Data were analyzed by principal component analysis and differential gene expression was assessed using linear modeling. Gene ontology enrichment and gene set analysis were used to characterize differentially expressed genes. Transcriptome analysis included comparison with PBMCs obtained from DC-vaccinated melanoma patients and of healthy individuals who received seasonal influenza vaccination. Results: DC-TRN immunotherapy in HIV-infected individuals resulted in a major shift in the transcriptome. Longitudinal analysis demonstrated that changes in the transcriptome sustained also during interruption of antiretroviral therapy. After DC-vaccination, the transcriptome was enriched for cellular immunity associated genes that were also induced in healthy adults who received live attenuated influenza virus vaccination. These beneficial responses were accompanied by detrimental signals of general immune activation. Conclusions: The DC-TRN induced changes in the transcriptome were profound, lasting, and consisted of both protective signals and signatures of inflammation and immune exhaustion, with a net result of decreased viral load, without clinical benefit. Thus transcriptome analysis provides useful information, dissecting both positive and negative effects, for the evaluation of safety and efficacy of immunotherapeutic strategies.
Project description:The objective of this study is to: 1) Characterize the cellular origin of transciptional signatures observed on day 1 after vaccination with 2009/10 seasonal influenza and pneumococcal vaccine discovered by transcriptional profiling of whole blood samples in data set “WholeBlood_SysVax”. 2) Discover potential biomarkers for immune-responsiveness to non-live vaccines. In this Series, a total of 72 samples of leukocyte subsets (neutrophils, monocytes, CD4+ T and CD8+ T lymphocytes) were isolated before and 24 hours after vaccination from 6 healthy adult individuals receiving seasonal influenza and 4 healthy adult individuals receiving pneumococcal vaccine. From each subject, neutrophils and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained by Ficoll gradient separation and then CD14+ monocytes, CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells were purified by sequential positive bead selection. Cells were transferred into RLT buffer and stored at -80ºC until mRNA extraction.