Abstract
Neonatal immaturity of the immune system is currently believed to generally limit the induction of immune responses to vaccine Ags and to skew them toward type 2 responses. We demonstrated here that Bordetella pertussis infection in very young infants (median, 2 mo old) as well as the first administration of whole-cell pertussis vaccine induces B. pertussis Ag-specific IFN-gamma secretion by the PBMC of these infants. IFN-gamma was secreted by both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes, and the levels of Ag-induced IFN-gamma secretion did not correlate with the age of the infants. Appearance of the specific Th-1 cell-mediated immunity was accompanied by a general shift of the cytokine secretion profile of these infants toward a stronger Th1 profile, as evidenced by the response to a polyclonal stimulation. We conclude that the immune system of 2-mo-old infants is developmentally mature enough to develop Th1 responses in vivo upon infection by B. pertussis or vaccination with whole-cell pertussis vaccines.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Acute Disease
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Adhesins, Bacterial / pharmacology
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Adult
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Antigens, Bacterial / pharmacology
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Bordetella pertussis / immunology*
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CD4-CD8 Ratio
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Cells, Cultured
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Cytokines / metabolism
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Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology
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Hemagglutinins / pharmacology
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Humans
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Immunization Schedule
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Immunophenotyping
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Infant
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Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis
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Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
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Pertussis Toxin / pharmacology
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Pertussis Vaccine / administration & dosage
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Pertussis Vaccine / immunology
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Phytohemagglutinins / pharmacology
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T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
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T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
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Th1 Cells / immunology*
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Th1 Cells / metabolism*
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Th2 Cells / immunology
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Th2 Cells / metabolism
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Virulence Factors, Bordetella / pharmacology
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Whooping Cough / immunology
Substances
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Adhesins, Bacterial
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Antigens, Bacterial
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Cytokines
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Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
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Hemagglutinins
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Pertussis Vaccine
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Phytohemagglutinins
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Virulence Factors, Bordetella
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filamentous hemagglutinin adhesin, Bordetella pertussis
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Interferon-gamma
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Pertussis Toxin