Effect of early carriage of streptococcus pneumoniae on the development of pneumococcal protein-specific cellular immune responses in infancy

van den Biggelaar, A.H.J. et al. (2012) Effect of early carriage of streptococcus pneumoniae on the development of pneumococcal protein-specific cellular immune responses in infancy. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 31(3), pp. 243-248. (doi: 10.1097/INF.0b013e318245a5a8)

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between nasopharyngeal pneumococcal colonization in early life and the subsequent development of pneumococcal-specific T cell responses. <p/>Methods: Pernasal swabs were collected from Papua New Guinean infants at the ages of 1 and 2 weeks (n = 279). At 9 months, in vitro cellular immune responses to choline-binding protein A (n = 132), pneumococcal surface protein A (n = 132), pneumolysin (n = 99), and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine carrier CRM197 were determined. Responses were compared based on the children's carriage status within the first 2 weeks of life. <p/>Results: Within the first 2 weeks of life, 40% of the study children carried Streptococcus pneumoniae. Early carriage was associated with lower interferon-γ and interleukin 10 responses to pneumococcal proteins at age 9 months when children had not received pneumococcal conjugate vaccines during the study period. <p/>Conclusions: Early pneumococcal carriage may result in enhanced disease susceptibility and suboptimal vaccine responses by modulating the development of pneumococcal immune responses.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Mitchell, Professor Timothy
• Authors: van den Biggelaar, A.H.J., Pomat, W.S., Phuanukoonnon, S., Michael, A., Aho, C., Nadal-Sims, M.A., Devitt, C.J., Jacoby, P.A., Hales, B.J., Smith, W., Mitchell, T.J., Wiertsema, S., Richmond, P., Siba, P., Holt, P.G., and Lehmann, D.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity
• Journal Name: Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
• ISSN: 0891-3668