Significant variation in serotype-specific immunogenicity of the seven-valent Streptococcus pneumoniae capsular polysaccharide-CRM197 conjugate vaccine occurs despite vigorous T cell help induced by the carrier protein

J Infect Dis. 2003 May 15;187(10):1629-38. doi: 10.1086/374785. Epub 2003 Apr 30.

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae capsular polysaccharides (PnPSs) induce protective antibodies but are T cell-independent type 2 antigens and are poorly immunogenic in infants. Conjugate vaccines of PnPSs linked to proteins like cross-reactive material (CRM(197)) increase PS antibody titer and elicit immunologic memory in infants. Despite being linked to an identical carrier protein, each PS component of the 7-valent PnPS-CRM(197) vaccine has different immunogenicity. To determine whether variations in conjugate-induced memory T cell responses or PnPS-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) were responsible for serotype-specific differences in immunogenicity, adults were immunized with 7-valent PnPS-CRM(197), and antibody titer, vaccine component-specific CD4(+) T cell recall response, numbers of PnPS-specific ASCs, and cytokine production were measured. PnPS-CRM(197) induced significantly different serotype-specific antibody titers, despite vigorous T cell recall responses to all 7 vaccine components, and production of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, and interferon-gamma. We conclude that PnPS-CRM(197) induces variable serotype-specific antibody titers, despite induction of comparable CRM(197)-specific memory T cell responses.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / immunology
  • Antigens, Bacterial / immunology*
  • Bacterial Capsules / immunology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Male
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines / immunology*
  • Serotyping
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / immunology*
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Th2 Cells / immunology
  • Time Factors
  • Vaccines, Conjugate / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cytokines
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines
  • Vaccines, Conjugate
  • CRM197 (non-toxic variant of diphtheria toxin)