Serotype-specific and age-dependent generation of pneumococcal polysaccharide-specific memory B-cell and antibody responses to immunization with a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2008 Feb;15(2):182-93. doi: 10.1128/CVI.00336-07. Epub 2007 Nov 21.

Abstract

Glycoconjugate vaccines have dramatically reduced the incidence of encapsulated bacterial diseases in toddlers under 2 years of age, but vaccine-induced antibody levels in this age group wane rapidly. We immunized adults and 12-month-old toddlers with heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to determine differences in B-cell and antibody responses. The adults and 12-month-old toddlers received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The toddlers received a second dose at 14 months of age. The frequencies of diphtheria toxoid and serotype 4, 14, and 23F polysaccharide-specific plasma cells and memory B cells were determined by enzyme-linked immunospot assay. The toddlers had no preexisting polysaccharide-specific memory B cells or serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody but had good diphtheria toxoid-specific memory responses. The frequencies of plasma cells and memory B cells increased by day 7 (P < 0.0001) in the adults and the toddlers following a single dose of conjugate, but the polysaccharide responses were significantly lower in the toddlers than in the adults (P = 0.009 to <0.001). IgM dominated the toddler antibody responses, and class switching to the IgG was serotype dependent. A second dose of vaccine enhanced the antibody and memory B-cell responses in the toddlers but not the ex vivo plasma cell responses. Two doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine are required in toddlers to generate memory B-cell frequencies and antibody class switching for each pneumococcal polysaccharide equivalent to that seen in adults.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood*
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Bacterial Capsules / immunology*
  • Diphtheria Toxoid / immunology
  • Female
  • Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood
  • Immunologic Memory*
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Meningococcal Vaccines / immunology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Diphtheria Toxoid
  • Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Meningococcal Vaccines
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines