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Pittet LF, Messina NL, McDonald E, Orsini F, Barry S, Bonten M, Campbell J, Croda J, Croda MG, Dalcolmo M, Gardiner K, Gwee A, Jardim B, Lacerda MV, Lucas M, Lynn DJ, Manning L, Perrett KP, Post JJ, Prat-Aymerich C, Richmond PC, Rocha JL, Rodriguez-Baño J, Warris A, Wood NJ, Davidson A, Curtis N. Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination to prevent febrile and respiratory illness in adults (BRACE): secondary outcomes of a randomised controlled phase 3 trial. EClinicalMedicine 2024; 72:102616. [PMID: 38774675 PMCID: PMC11106519 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination has off-target (non-specific) effects that are associated with protection against unrelated infections and decreased all-cause mortality in infants. We aimed to determine whether BCG vaccination prevents febrile and respiratory infections in adults. Methods This randomised controlled phase 3 trial was done in 36 healthcare centres in Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Healthcare workers were randomised to receive BCG-Denmark (single 0.1 ml intradermal injection) or no BCG in a 1:1 ratio using a web-based procedure, stratified by stage, site, age, and presence of co-morbidity. The difference in occurrence of febrile or respiratory illness were measured over 12 months (prespecified secondary outcome) using the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04327206. Findings Between March 30, 2020, and April 1, 2021, 6828 healthcare workers were randomised to BCG-Denmark (n = 3417) or control (n = 3411; no intervention or placebo) groups. The 12-month adjusted estimated risk of ≥1 episode of febrile or respiratory illness was 66.8% in the BCG group (95% CI 65.3%-68.2%), compared with 63.4% in the control group (95% CI 61.8%-65.0%), a difference of +3.4 percentage points (95% CI +1.3% to +5.5%; p 0.002). The adjusted estimated risk of a severe episode (defined as being incapacitated for ≥3 consecutive days or hospitalised) was 19.4% in the BCG group (95% CI 18.0%-20.7%), compared with 18.8% in the control group (95% CI 17.4%-20.2%) a difference of +0.6 percentage points (95% CI -1.3% to +2.5%; p 0.6). Both groups had a similar number of episodes of illness, pneumonia, and hospitalisation. There were three deaths, all in the control group. There were no safety concerns following BCG vaccination. Interpretation In contrast to the beneficial off-target effects reported following neonatal BCG in infants, a small increased risk of symptomatic febrile or respiratory illness was observed in the 12 months following BCG vaccination in adults. There was no evidence of a difference in the risk of severe disease. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Minderoo Foundation, Sarah and Lachlan Murdoch, the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, Health Services Union NSW, the Peter Sowerby Foundation, SA Health, the Insurance Advisernet Foundation, the NAB Foundation, the Calvert-Jones Foundation, the Modara Pines Charitable Foundation, the UHG Foundation Pty Ltd, Epworth Healthcare, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Swiss National Science Foundation and individual donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure F. Pittet
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Infectious Diseases, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Immunology, Vaccinology, Rheumatology, and Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obsterics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva and University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicole L. Messina
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ellie McDonald
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Francesca Orsini
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Children's Trial Centre, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simone Barry
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Marc Bonten
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - John Campbell
- Exeter Collaboration for Academic Primary Care, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Julio Croda
- Fiocruz Mato Grosso do Sul, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Campo Grande, Brazil
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Mariana G. Croda
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Margareth Dalcolmo
- Helio Fraga Reference Center, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Ministry of Health, Curicica, Brazil
- Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Kaya Gardiner
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Research Operations, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amanda Gwee
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Infectious Diseases, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bruno Jardim
- Institute of Clinical Research Carlos Borborema, Doctor Heitor Vieira Dourado Tropical Medicine Foundation, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Marcus V.G. Lacerda
- Institute of Clinical Research Carlos Borborema, Doctor Heitor Vieira Dourado Tropical Medicine Foundation, Manaus, Brazil
- Instituto Leônidas & Maria Deane, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Ministry of Health, Manaus, Brazil
- University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Michaela Lucas
- Department of Immunology, Pathwest, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Immunology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Immunology and General Paediatrics, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - David J. Lynn
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Laurens Manning
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kirsten P. Perrett
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Children's Trial Centre, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Allergy and Immunology, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jeffrey J. Post
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Cristina Prat-Aymerich
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
- Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Peter C. Richmond
- Department of Immunology and General Paediatrics, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jorge L. Rocha
- Helio Fraga Reference Center, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Ministry of Health, Curicica, Brazil
| | - Jesus Rodriguez-Baño
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Department of Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, University of Seville, Biomedicines Institute of Seville-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Seville, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carloss III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adilia Warris
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J. Wood
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Disease, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew Davidson
- Melbourne Children's Trial Centre, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nigel Curtis
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Infectious Diseases, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Xiang J, Chang Q, McLinden JH, Bhattarai N, Welch JL, Kaufman TM, Stapleton JT. Characterization of "Off-Target" Immune Modulation Induced by Live Attenuated Yellow Fever Vaccine. J Infect Dis 2024; 229:786-794. [PMID: 36994927 PMCID: PMC10938199 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Live attenuated vaccines alter immune functions and are associated with beneficial outcomes. We previously demonstrated that live attenuated yellow fever virus (YFV) vaccine (LA-YF-Vax) dampens T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling in vitro via an RNA-based mechanism. We examined study participants before and after LA-YF-Vax to assess TCR-mediated functions in vivo. METHODS Serum samples and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained before and after LA-YF-Vax (with or without additional vaccines) or quadrivalent influenza vaccine. TCR-mediated activation was determined by interleukin 2 release or phosphorylation of the lymphocyte-specific Src kinase. TCR-regulating phosphatase (protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type E [PTPRE]) expression was also measured. RESULTS Compared with prevaccination findings, LA-YF-Vax recipient PBMCs demonstrated transient reduction in interleukin 2 release after TCR stimulation and PTPRE levels, unlike in control participants who received quadrivalent influenza vaccine. YFV was detected in 8 of 14 participants after LA-YF-Vax. After incubation of healthy donor PBMCs in serum-derived extracellular vesicles prepared from LA-YF-Vax recipients, TCR signaling and PTPRE levels were reduced after vaccination, even in participants without detectable YFV RNA. CONCLUSIONS LA-YF-Vax reduces TCR functions and PTPRE levels after vaccination. Extracellular vesicles from serum recapitulated this effect in healthy cells. This likely contributes to the reduced immunogenicity for heterologous vaccines after LA-YF-Vax administration. Identification of specific immune mechanisms related to vaccines should contribute to understanding of the "off-target," beneficial effects of live vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Xiang
- Iowa City Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Q Chang
- Iowa City Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - J H McLinden
- Iowa City Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - N Bhattarai
- Division of Cellular and Gene Therapies, Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - J L Welch
- Iowa City Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - T M Kaufman
- Iowa City Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jack T Stapleton
- Iowa City Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Schaltz-Buchholzer F, Nielsen S, Sørensen MK, Stjernholm EB, Fabricius RA, Umbasse P, Monteiro I, Cá EJC, Aaby P, Benn CS. Effects of Neonatal BCG-Japan Versus BCG-Russia Vaccination on Overall Mortality and Morbidity: Randomized Controlled Trial From Guinea-Bissau (BCGSTRAIN II). Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofae057. [PMID: 38500576 PMCID: PMC10946234 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Vaccination with the Danish strain of bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has been associated with pronounced reductions in all-cause neonatal mortality and morbidity. Developing a skin reaction postvaccination is associated with markedly reduced mortality risk. It is unknown whether the beneficial nonspecific effects are maintained across different BCG strains. Methods This was an open-label randomized controlled trial in Guinea-Bissau, comparing BCG-Japan (n = 8754) versus BCG-Russia (n = 8752) for all-cause hospital admission risk by 6 weeks of age (primary outcome) and 6 months of age. Additional secondary outcomes were in-hospital case-fatality risk (CFR), all-cause mortality, and BCG skin reaction prevalence. Participants were followed through telephone calls at 6 weeks and 6 months, with a subgroup also visited at home. We assessed admission and mortality risk in Cox models providing incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and mortality rate ratios. CFR and skin reactions were assessed by binomial regression providing risk ratios. Analyses were done overall and stratified by sex. Results BCG strain was not associated with admission risk, the BCG-Japan/BCG-Russia IRR being 0.92 (95% confidence interval [CI], .81-1.05) by 6 weeks and 0.92 (95% CI, .82-1.02) by 6 months. By 6 months of age, there were significantly fewer BCG-Japan infants with no skin reaction (1%) than for BCG-Russia (2%), the risk ratio being 0.36 (95% CI, .16-.81). BCG-Japan skin reactions were also larger. Conclusions Both vaccines induced a skin reaction in almost all participants. The BCG strains had comparable effects on morbidity and mortality, but BCG-Japan was associated with more and larger skin reactions that are indicators of lower mortality risk. Clinical Trials Registration NCT03400878.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- Bandim Health Project, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Sebastian Nielsen
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- Bandim Health Project, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Paulo Umbasse
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Ivan Monteiro
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | | | - Peter Aaby
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Christine Stabell Benn
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- Bandim Health Project, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Danish Institute of Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Noble CCA, Messina NL, Pittet LF, Curtis N. Interpreting the Results of Trials of BCG Vaccination for Protection Against COVID-19. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:1467-1478. [PMID: 37558650 PMCID: PMC10640778 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BCG vaccination has beneficial off-target ("nonspecific") effects on nonmycobacterial infections. On this premise, trials set out to investigate whether BCG provides off-target protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A literature search identified 11 randomized "BCG COVID-19" trials, with conflicting results. These trials and the differences in their study design are discussed using the PICOT (participants, intervention, control, outcome, and timing) framework to highlight the factors that likely explain their inconsistent findings. These include participant age, sex and comorbid conditions, BCG vaccination strain and dose, outcome measure and duration of follow-up. Understanding how to control these factors to best exploit BCG's off-target effects will be important in designing future trials and intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christie C A Noble
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicole L Messina
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laure F Pittet
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Paediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nigel Curtis
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Infectious Diseases, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Noé A, Dang TD, Axelrad C, Burrell E, Germano S, Elia S, Burgner D, Perrett KP, Curtis N, Messina NL. BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination in children alters cytokine responses to heterologous pathogens and Toll-like receptor agonists. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1242380. [PMID: 37691937 PMCID: PMC10485613 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1242380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Vaccines can have beneficial off-target (heterologous) effects that alter immune responses to, and protect against, unrelated infections. The heterologous effects of COVID-19 vaccines have not been investigated in children. Aim To investigate heterologous and specific immunological effects of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination in children. Methods A whole blood stimulation assay was used to investigate in vitro cytokine responses to heterologous stimulants (killed pathogens, Toll-like receptor ligands) and SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Samples from 29 children, aged 5-11 years, before and 28 days after a second BNT162b2 vaccination were analysed (V2 + 28). Samples from eight children were analysed six months after BNT162b2 vaccination. Results At V2 + 28, interferon-γ and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 responses to S. aureus, E. coli, L. monocytogenes, BCG vaccine, H. influenzae, hepatitis B antigen, poly(I:C) and R848 stimulations were decreased compared to pre-vaccination. For most of these heterologous stimulants, IL-6, IL-15 and IL-17 responses were also decreased. There were sustained decreases in cytokine responses to viral, but not bacterial, stimulants six months after BNT162b2 vaccination. Cytokine responses to irradiated SARS-CoV-2, and spike glycoprotein subunits (S1 and S2) were increased at V2 + 28 for most cytokines and remained higher than pre-vaccination responses 6 months after BNT162b2 vaccination for irradiated SARS-CoV-2 and S1. There was no correlation between BNT162b2 vaccination-induced anti-SARS-CoV2-receptor binding domain IgG antibody titre at V2 + 28 and cytokine responses. Conclusions BNT162b2 vaccination in children alters cytokine responses to heterologous stimulants, particularly one month after vaccination. This study is the first to report the immunological heterologous effects of COVID-19 vaccination in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Noé
- Infection, Immunity and Global Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Unit, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Thanh D. Dang
- Infection, Immunity and Global Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Christine Axelrad
- Infection, Immunity and Global Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Emma Burrell
- Infection, Immunity and Global Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Susie Germano
- Infection, Immunity and Global Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Sonja Elia
- Infectious Diseases Unit, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - David Burgner
- Infection, Immunity and Global Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Unit, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kirsten P. Perrett
- Infectious Diseases Unit, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Population Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Nigel Curtis
- Infection, Immunity and Global Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Unit, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Nicole L. Messina
- Infection, Immunity and Global Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Trunk G, Davidović M, Bohlius J. Non-Specific Effects of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11010121. [PMID: 36679966 PMCID: PMC9866113 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccines induce antigen-specific immunity, which provides long-lived protection from the target pathogen. Trials from areas with high incidence rates for infectious diseases indicated that the tuberculosis vaccine Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) induces in addition non-specific immunity against various pathogens and thereby reduces overall mortality more than would have been expected by just protecting from tuberculosis. Although recent trials produced conflicting results, it was suggested that BCG might protect from non-tuberculosis respiratory infections and could be used to bridge the time until a specific vaccine against novel respiratory diseases like COVID-19 is available. METHODS We performed a systematic search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2011 and December 9th, 2022, providing evidence about non-specific effects after BCG vaccination, assessed their potential for bias, and meta-analyzed relevant clinical outcomes. We excluded RCTs investigating vaccination with an additional vaccine unless outcomes from a follow-up period before the second vaccination were reported. RESULTS Our search identified 16 RCTs including 34,197 participants. Vaccination with BCG caused an estimated 44% decrease in risk for respiratory infections (hazard ratio (HR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39-0.82) with substantial heterogeneity between trials (I2 = 77%). There was evidence for a protective effect on all-cause mortality of 21% if follow-up was restricted to one year (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.64-0.99). We did not find evidence for an effect when we considered longer follow-up (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.75-1.03). Infection-related mortality after BCG vaccination was reduced by 33% (HR 0.67; 95% CI 0.46-0.99), mortality for sepsis by 38% (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.41-0.93). There was no evidence for a protective effect of BCG vaccination on infections of any origin (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71-1.00), COVID-19 (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.68-1.14), sepsis (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.55-1.10) or hospitalization (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.91-1.11). CONCLUSIONS According to these results, depending on the setting, vaccination with BCG provides time-limited partial protection against non-tuberculosis respiratory infections and may reduce mortality. These findings underline BCG's potential (1) in pandemic preparedness against novel pathogens especially in developing countries with established BCG vaccination programs but limited access to specific vaccines; (2) in reducing microbial infections, antimicrobial prescriptions and thus the development of antimicrobial resistance. There is a need for additional RCTs to clarify the circumstances under which BCG's non-specific protective effects are mediated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Trunk
- Independent Researcher, 3007 Bern, Switzerland
- Correspondence:
| | - Maša Davidović
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Julia Bohlius
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
- Department for Education and Training, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Geckin B, Konstantin Föhse F, Domínguez-Andrés J, Netea MG. Trained immunity: implications for vaccination. Curr Opin Immunol 2022; 77:102190. [PMID: 35597182 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2022.102190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The concept that only adaptive immunity can build immunological memory has been challenged in the past decade. Live attenuated vaccines such as the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, measles-containing vaccines, and the oral polio vaccine have been shown to reduce overall mortality beyond their effects attributable to the targeted diseases. After an encounter with a primary stimulus, epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming of bone marrow progenitor cells and functional changes of tissue immune cell populations result in augmented immune responses against a secondary challenge. This process has been termed trained immunity. This review describes the mechanisms leading to trained immunity and summarizes the most important developments from the past few years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Büsranur Geckin
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Friedrich Konstantin Föhse
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jorge Domínguez-Andrés
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mihai G Netea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Immunology and Metabolism, Life & Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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Is the BCG Vaccine an Answer to Future Pandemic Preparedness? Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10020201. [PMID: 35214660 PMCID: PMC8876484 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
While the development of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines was rapid, time to development and implementation challenges remain that may impact the response to future pandemics. Trained immunity via bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination (an antigen agnostic strategy) offers a potential intervention against future novel pathogens via an existing, safe, and widely distributed vaccine to protect vulnerable populations and preserve health system capacity while targeted vaccines are developed and implemented.
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Prentice S, Dockrell HM. BCG Specific and Nonspecific Effects: Different Questions, Similar Challenges. J Infect Dis 2021; 224:1105-1108. [PMID: 34244763 PMCID: PMC8514176 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Prentice
- Department of Paediatrics and Neonatology, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, Stevenage, United Kingdom
| | - Hazel M Dockrell
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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