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Aggregate content influences the Th1/Th2 immune response to influenza vaccine: Evidence from a mouse model
Author(s) -
Babiuk Shawn,
Skowronski Danuta M.,
De Serres Gaston,
HayGlass Kent,
Brunham Robert C.,
Babiuk Lorne
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.10540
Subject(s) - immune system , immunology , virology , influenza vaccine , biology , antigen , cytokine , vaccination , medicine
During the 2000–2001 season, a newly identified oculo‐respiratory syndrome (ORS) was detected across Canada as an adverse effect to one influenza vaccine. The implicated vaccine contained a higher than expected proportion of unsplit and aggregated influenza virions. Clinical and epidemiologic features of ORS were suggestive of type 2‐like influences on the immune response. We hypothesized that the implicated vaccine from the 2000–2001 season would induce greater Th2‐like polarization relative to the non‐implicated vaccine from the same season. Three groups consisting of eight mice each were either immunized with implicated vaccine, immunized with non‐implicated vaccine or not immunized. Antigen‐specific cellular responses were characterized based on the balance of Th2 (IL‐4, IL‐5) and Th1 (IFN‐γ) cytokines in vitro. We confirm that vaccine aggregates deviate the immune response to a greater Th2 cytokine pattern with potential implications for vaccine screening, safety, and efficacy. J. Med. Virol. 72:138–142, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.