Immunological Correlates of Prevention of the Onset of Seasonal H3N2 Influenza

Moe Okuda; Yuko Sakai-Tagawa; Michiko Koga; Tomohiko Koibuchi; Tadashi Kikuchi; Eisuke Adachi; Lay Ahyoung Lim; Shinya Yamamoto; Hiroshi Yotsuyanagi; Kyota Negishi; Daisuke Jubishi; Seiya Yamayoshi; Yoshihiro Kawaoka

doi:10.1093/infdis/jiac152

Immunological Correlates of Prevention of the Onset of Seasonal H3N2 Influenza

J Infect Dis. 2022 Nov 11;226(10):1800-1808. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac152.

Authors

Moe Okuda¹, Yuko Sakai-Tagawa^{1

2}, Michiko Koga³, Tomohiko Koibuchi⁴, Tadashi Kikuchi⁴, Eisuke Adachi⁴, Lay Ahyoung Lim⁴, Shinya Yamamoto^{1

3}, Hiroshi Yotsuyanagi^{3

4}, Kyota Negishi⁵, Daisuke Jubishi^{5

6}, Seiya Yamayoshi^{1

2

7}, Yoshihiro Kawaoka^{1

2

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
² International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
³ Division of Infectious Diseases, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
⁴ Department of Infectious Diseases and Applied Immunology, IMSUT Hospital of Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
⁵ Tokyo Health Cooperative Association, Nezu Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
⁶ Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
⁷ The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
⁸ Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Abstract

On influenza virus infection or vaccination, immune responses occur, including the production of antibodies with various functions that contribute to protection from seasonal influenza virus infection. In the current study, we attempted to identify the antibody functions that play a central role in preventing the onset of seasonal influenza by comparing the levels of several antibody titers for different antibody functions between 5 subclinically infected individuals and 16 patients infected with seasonal H3N2 virus. For antibody titers before influenza virus exposure, we found that the nAb titers and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers against hemagglutinin and neuraminidase (NA) proteins in the subclinically infected individuals were significantly higher than those in the patients, whereas the NA inhibition titers and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activities did not significantly differ between subclinically infected individuals and infected patients. These results suggest that nAb and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers against hemagglutinin and NA serve as correlates of symptomatic influenza infection.

Keywords: H3N2; Influenza A virus; antibody functions that inhibit influenza infection; correlates of protection; subclinical infection.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antibodies, Viral
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus
Hemagglutinins
Humans
Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype*
Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype
Influenza Vaccines*
Influenza, Human*
Neuraminidase
Seasons

Substances

Hemagglutinins
Antibodies, Viral
Neuraminidase
Influenza Vaccines
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus

Grants and funding

HHSN272201400008C/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States