Cellular and humoral immune responses to pandemic influenza vaccine in healthy and in highly active antiretroviral therapy-treated HIV patients

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2012 Dec;28(12):1606-16. doi: 10.1089/AID.2011.0371. Epub 2012 May 8.

Abstract

Influenza vaccination is recommended for HAART-treated HIV patients to prevent influenza illness and complications. Due to the known ability of T cells to mediate a broadly cross-reactive response, vaccination effectiveness in cell-mediated immune (CMI) response induction is a main objective in new influenza vaccination strategies. Nevertheless, data on CMI responses after pandemic vaccination in HIV subjects are still missing. In the present study, the ability of a single dose of adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine to induce humoral and CMI responses was compared in HAART-treated HIV patients and in healthcare workers. Healthcare workers (HCW, n=65) and HAART-treated HIV patients (HIV, n=67) receiving pandemic vaccination were enrolled and analyzed before (t0) and after (t1) vaccination. The analysis of strain-specific humoral response was performed by HAI assay; CMI against pandemic (A/H1N1/Cal/09) and seasonal (A/H1N1/Brisb/07 and A/H3N2/Brisb/07) strains was analyzed by ELISpot and intracellular staining followed by flow cytometry. Pandemic vaccination was effective in inducing both humoral and cell-mediated responses in HAART-treated HIV patients as well as in HCWs. A large fraction of both HCWs and HIV-infected patients showed a T cell response to the pandemic strain before vaccination, suggesting possible previous exposure to A/H1N1/pdm/09 and/or cross-reactive T cells. Notably, pandemic vaccine was also able to boost cross-reactive immune responses to seasonal strains. Finally, a weaker boost of both strain-specific and cross-reactive T cell immunity was found in individuals showing a higher baseline response. These data show the effectiveness of adjuvanted pandemic vaccine to induce both humoral and cellular (strain-specific and cross-reactive) immune responses in HIV patients similar to HCWs.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis*
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / complications
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / immunology*
  • Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / immunology
  • Influenza Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Influenza Vaccines / immunology*
  • Influenza, Human / prevention & control
  • Male
  • Middle Aged

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Cytokines
  • Influenza Vaccines