B Cell Memory to a Serogroup C Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine in Childhood and Response to Booster: Little Association with Serum IgG Antibody

Abstract

The maintenance of adequate serum Ab levels following immunization has been identified as the most important mechanism for individual long-term protection against rapidly invading encapsulated bacteria. The mechanisms for maintaining adequate serum Ab levels and the relationship between Ag-specific memory B cells and Ab at steady state are poorly understood. We measured the frequency of circulating serogroup C meningococcal (MenC)-specific memory B cells in 250 healthy 6- to 12-y-old children 6 y following MenC conjugate vaccine priming, before a booster of a combined Haemophilus influenzae type b–MenC conjugate vaccine and then 1 wk, 1 mo, and 1 y after the booster. We investigated the relationship between circulating MenC-specific memory B cell frequencies and Ab at baseline and following the booster vaccine. We found very low frequencies of circulating MenC-specific memory B cells at steady state in primary school-aged children and little association with MenC IgG Ab levels. Following vaccination, there were robust memory B cell booster responses that, unlike Ab levels, were not dependent on age at priming with MenC. Measurement of B cell memory in peripheral blood does not predict steady state Ab levels nor the capacity to respond to a booster dose of MenC Ag.

Antibody Avidity in Humoral Immune Responses in Bangladeshi Children and Adults following Administration of an Oral Killed Cholera Vaccine

“…Despite this, current oral cholera vaccines achieve lower protective efficacy and shorter duration of protection in young children than in older persons (6). Young children generally respond poorly to polysaccharide antigens (25)(26)(27). Previously, we demonstrated that memory B cell responses in young children to both the T cell-dependent antigen CTB and the T cell-independent antigen LPS following vaccination were significantly lower than those achieved after natural infection (17).…”

Polysaccharide-specific B cell responses to vaccination in humans

“…47 While some studies have demonstrated a relationship between B MEM and antibody concentration at various intervals after immunization this has not been consistent for all antigens or between studies. 9 Blanchard Rohner et al found that B MEM levels rather than antibody levels following priming with MenCCV better discriminated those with putative protective antibody levels at 12 mo. 5 Another study identified a weak positive correlation between 5 mo B MEM levels and 12 mo antibody concentrations for serotypes C and Y but not A or W in children vaccinated at 2 and 4 mo of age with the MenACWY-CRM 197 conjugate vaccine.…”

“…Figure 2 combines data from the studies discussed in this section to summarize the B MEM response to vaccination in primed and unprimed individuals. [5][6][7][8][9] Frequency of Polysaccharide-…”

“…In this manuscript we aim to describe the kinetics (timing of responses) and magnitude of both polysaccharide-specific plasma cell (PC) and memory B cell (B MEM ) responses following vaccination, summarizing data from previous studies in children, adolescents, and adults. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] …”

National Institutes of Health Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Late Effects Initiative: The Immune Dysregulation and Pathobiology Working Group Report

“…While ex vivo assays have shown that B cells are constitutively activated in cGVHD, 115, 116 B lymphopenia and humoral immune deficiency are distinctive characteristics of cGVHD. 117–120 .…”