Delayed adaptive immunity is related to higher MMR vaccine-induced antibody titers in children.

Monday, 27th of June 2016

Clin Transl Immunology. 2016 Apr 29;5(4):e75. doi: 10.1038/cti.2016.20. eCollection 2016.

Delayed adaptive immunity is related to higher MMR vaccine-induced antibody titers in children.

Strömbeck A¹ Lundell AC¹ Nordström I¹ Andersson K¹ Adlerberth I² Wold AE² Rudin A¹.

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Abstract

There are notable inter-individual variations in vaccine-specific antibody responses in vaccinated children. The aim of our study was to investigate whether early-life environmental factors and adaptive immune maturation prior and close to measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) immunization relate to magnitudes of vaccine-specific antibody titers. In the FARMFLORA birth cohort including both farming and non-farming families children were immunized with the MMR vaccine at 18 months of age. MMR vaccine-induced antibody titers were measured in plasma samples obtained at 36 months of age. Infants blood samples obtained at birth 3-5 days and at 4 and 18 months of age were analyzed for T- and B-cell numbers proportions of naive and memory T and B cells and fractions of putative regulatory T cells. Multivariate factor analyses show that higher anti-MMR antibody titers were associated with a lower degree of adaptive immune maturation that is lower proportions of memory T cells and a lower capacity of mononuclear cells to produce cytokines but with higher proportions of putative regulatory T cells. Further children born by cesarean section (CS) had significantly higher anti-measles titers than vaginally-born children; and CS was found to be associated with delayed adaptive immunity. Also girls presented with significantly higher anti-mumps and anti-rubella antibody levels than boys at 36 months of age. These results indicate that delayed adaptive immune maturation before and in close proximity to immunization seems to be advantageous for the ability of children to respond with higher anti-MMR antibody levels after vaccination.