Work

Subsisting H1N1 influenza memory responses are insufficient to protect from pandemic H1N1 influenza challenge in C57BL/6 mice

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: The 2009 swine-origin pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza virus transmitted and caused disease in many individuals immune to pre-2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Whilst extensive studies on antibody-mediated pH1N1 cross-reactivity have been described, few studies have focused on influenza-specific memory T-cells. To address this, the immune response in pre-2009 H1N1 influenza-immune mice was evaluated after pH1N1 challenge and disease pathogenesis was determined. The results show that despite homology shared between pre-2009 H1N1 and pH1N1 strains, the effector memory T-cell response to pre-2009 H1N1 was generally ineffective, a finding that correlated with lung virus persistence. Additionally, pH1N1 challenge generated T-cells reactive to new pH1N1 epitopes. These studies highlight the importance of vaccinating against immunodominant T-cell epitopes to provide for a more effective strategy to control influenza virus through heterosubtypic immunity.

Source: Journal of General Virology

DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.049494-0

Authors: Leo K. Sage, Julie M. Fox, Stephen M. Tompkins, Ralph A. Tripp

Institution: University of Georgia

Language: English

Topic: Influenza Virus Research Studies

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Georgia Research Alliance, National Institutes of Health