Impact of diabetes status on immunogenicity of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in older adults

Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus experience high rates of influenza virus infection and complications. We compared the magnitude and duration of serologic response to trivalent influenza vaccine in adults aged 50–80 with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Serologic response to influenza vaccination was similar in both groups: greater fold‐increases in antibody titer occurred among participants with lower pre‐vaccination antibody titers. Waning of antibody titers was not influenced by diabetes status.

Curricular Framing of the Undergraduate Immunology Classroom

Immunology education has historically been delivered at the graduate level. Calls for reform in biology education and increased workforce demand for individuals trained in immunology have spurred efforts to examine immunology education at the undergraduate level. The Undergraduate Immunology Education Consortium, a newly formed international group of immunology educators representing diverse institutions, is contributing to this effort through the development of curricular resources and student learning outcomes. We have identified a set of fundamental concepts that are critical to the understanding of immunology for undergraduate students and align with the 2011 AAAS Vision and Change Report. To identify consensus among immunology educators this group distributed an initial online survey to immunology educators to evaluate the identified fundamental concepts. Following survey feedback, the concepts were revised, submitted for further evaluation by immunology educators in focus groups, and then distributed in a final survey. Analyses of the data from the initial survey demonstrated that the respondent pool represented a varied and diverse range of expertise. Although teaching experience and current role in teaching influenced the proportion of time allotted to some immunology subtopics, topics of greatest emphasis included innate immunity, adaptive immunity, host-pathogen interactions, and molecular mechanisms. An understanding of current curricular practices by immunology educators will further aid in the refinement of the fundamental concepts, their interdisciplinary use in a diverse range of undergraduate science curricula, and future collection of assessment data to analyze effective best practices.

Prior infection with influenza virus but not vaccination leaves a long-term immunological imprint that intensifies the protective efficacy of antigenically drifted vaccine strains

The role of pre-existing immunity for influenza vaccine responses is of great importance for public health, and thus has been studied in various contexts, yet the impact of differential priming on vaccine responses in the midst of antigenic drift remains to be elucidated. To address this with antigenically related viruses, mice were first primed by either infection or immunization with A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8) virus, then immunized with whole-inactivated A/Fort Monmouth/1/47 (FM1) virus. The ensuing vaccine responses and the protective efficacy of FM1 were superior in PR8 infection-primed mice compared to PR8 immunization-primed or unprimed mice. Increased FM1-specific Ab responses of PR8 infection-primed mice also broadened cross-reactivity against contemporary as well as antigenically more drifted strains. Further, prior infection heightened the protective efficacy of antigenically distant strains, such as A/Brisbane/59/2006 infection followed by immunization with split pandemic H1N1 vaccine (A/California/07/2009). Therefore, influenza infection is a significant priming event that intensifies future vaccine responses against drift strains.

Inability of Monoclonal Antibodies to Clear Red Blood Cells during Incompatible Transfusions is not a Property of the Whole Cell (84.19)

During an incompatible transfusion (Tx), antibodies (Abs) against some blood group antigens (Ags) will lead to hemolysis while others will allow for continued red blood cell (RBC) circulation despite IgG binding. We tested the nature of RBC clearance using transgenic mice expressing well-defined RBC Ags and monoclonal Abs. Tx of RBCs, expressing human glycophorin A (hGPA), into mice treated with anti-hGPA IgG1 monoclonal Abs led to partial clearance of those RBCs. A population of RBCs persisted and continued to circulate in a 2nd animal also passively immunized against hGPA, indicating that survival was not due to splenic saturation or consumption of the monoclonal Abs. We therefore concluded that these hGPA RBCs were resistant to clearance as they were also positive for hGPA and bound Abs. These studies were also performed using RBCs expressing the Duffy Ag and anti-Duffy IgG2a monoclonal Abs. To test if resistance comprises a whole cell protection from Ab-induced lysis, we transfused blood expressing both hGPA and Duffy Ags into mice passively immunized against hGPA. The resistant RBCs were then transfused into mice passively immunized against Duffy. Although these RBCs were able to resist a 2nd Tx against the same anti-hGPA Ab as the one used during the 1st Tx, these did not resist a 2nd Tx during which anti-Duffy was used. We, therefore, conclude that resistance occurs with different Ags and is not a property of the cell but rather is at the Ag-Ab level.