Induction of H7N9-Cross-Reactive Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity Antibodies by Human Seasonal Influenza A Viruses that are Directed Toward the Nucleoprotein.

Antibodies that mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against avian influenza virus subtypes, including H7N9 and H5N1, have been detected in human sera. Using NK cell activation and NK cytotoxicity assays, we compared ADCC-mediating antibodies (ADCC-Abs) in sera collected from healthy infants, children and adults against H7N9 virus-infected cells and recombinant hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), and nucleoprotein (NP) proteins. High titers of ADCC-Abs against H7N9 virus-infected cells were detected in sera from adults and children but not infants. ADCC-Abs titers directed against H7N9 HA or NA proteins. Further analysis showed that ADCC-Abs titers were significantly higher toward H7N9 NP, as compared with H7N9 HA or NA proteins, and correlated strongly with ADCC-Abs titers against H7N9 virus-infected cells. Indeed, ADCC-Abs to NPs of seasonal H1N1 and H3N2 viruses correlated strongly with ADCC-Abs to H7N9 NP, suggesting that seasonal influenza infections and vaccinations may induce these cross-reactive antibodies. Targeting ADCC-Abs to internal proteins may be a potential mechanism of universal vaccine design.

High Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity Antibody Titers to H5N1 and H7N9 Avian Influenza A Viruses in Healthy US Adults and Older Children.

Human influenza is a highly contagious acute respiratory illness that is responsible for significant morbidity and excess mortality worldwide. In addition to neutralizing antibodies, there are antibodies that bind to influenza virus-infected cells and mediate lysis of the infected cells by natural killer (NK) cells (antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity [ADCC]) or complement (complement-dependent lysis [CDL]). We analyzed sera obtained from 16 healthy adults (18-63 years of age), 52 children (2-17 years of age), and 10 infants (0.75-1 year of age) in the United States, who were unlikely to have been exposed to the avian H7N9 subtype of influenza A virus, by ADCC and CDL assays. As expected, none of these sera had detectable levels of hemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies against the H7N9 virus, but we unexpectedly found high titers of ADCC antibodies to the H7N9 subtype virus in all sera from adults and children aged ≥8 years.

CD4+ T cells provide intermolecular help to generate robust antibody responses in vaccinia virus-vaccinated humans.

Immunization with vaccinia virus elicits a protective Ab response that is almost completely CD4(+) T cell dependent. A recent study in a rodent model observed a deterministic linkage between Ab and CD4(+) T cell responses to particular vaccinia virus proteins suggesting that CD4(+) T cell help is preferentially provided to B cells with the same protein specificity (Sette et al. 2008. Immunity 28: 847-858). However, a causal linkage between Ab and CD4(+) T cell responses to vaccinia or any other large pathogen in humans has yet to be done. In this study, we measured the Ab and CD4(+) T cell responses against four vaccinia viral proteins (A27L, A33R, B5R, and L1R) known to be strongly targeted by humoral and cellular responses induced by vaccinia virus vaccination in 90 recently vaccinated and 7 long-term vaccinia-immunized human donors. Our data indicate that there is no direct linkage between Ab and CD4(+) T cell responses against each individual protein in both short-term and long-term immunized donors. Together with the observation that the presence of immune responses to these four proteins is linked together within donors, our data suggest that in vaccinia-immunized humans, individual viral proteins are not the primary recognition unit of CD4(+) T cell help for B cells. Therefore, we have for the first time, to our knowledge, shown evidence that CD4(+) T cells provide intermolecular (also known as noncognate or heterotypic) help to generate robust Ab responses against four vaccinia viral proteins in humans.

A human CD4+ T cell epitope in the influenza hemagglutinin is cross-reactive to influenza A virus subtypes and to influenza B virus.

The hemagglutinin protein (HA) of the influenza virus family is a major antigen for protective immunity. Thus, it is a relevant target for developing vaccines. Here, we describe a human CD4(+) T cell epitope in the influenza virus HA that lies in the fusion peptide of the HA. This epitope is well conserved in all 16 subtypes of the HA protein of influenza A virus and the HA protein of influenza B virus. By stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a healthy adult donor with peptides covering the entire HA protein based on the sequence of A/Japan/305/1957 (H2N2), we generated a T cell line specific to this epitope. This CD4(+) T cell line recognizes target cells infected with influenza A virus seasonal H1N1 and H3N2 strains, a reassortant H2N1 strain, the 2009 pandemic H1N1 strain, and influenza B virus in cytotoxicity assays and intracellular-cytokine-staining assays. It also lysed target cells infected with avian H5N1 virus. We screened healthy adult PBMCs for T cell responses specific to this epitope and found individuals who had ex vivo gamma interferon (IFN-γ) responses to the peptide epitope in enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays. Almost all donors who responded to the epitope had the HLA-DRB1*09 allele, a relatively common HLA allele. Although natural infection or standard vaccination may not induce strong T and B cell responses to this highly conserved epitope in the fusion peptide, it may be possible to develop a vaccination strategy to induce these CD4(+) T cells, which are cross-reactive to both influenza A and B viruses.

Cross-reactive human B cell and T cell epitopes between influenza A and B viruses.

Influenza A and B viruses form different genera, which were originally distinguished by antigenic differences in their nucleoproteins and matrix 1 proteins. Cross-protection between these two genera has not been observed in animal experiments, which is consistent with the low homology in viral proteins common to both viruses except for one of three polymerase proteins, polymerase basic 1 (PB1). Recently, however, antibody and CD4+ T cell epitopes conserved between the two genera were identified in humans. A protective antibody epitope was located in the stalk region of the surface glycoprotein, hemagglutinin, and a CD4+ T cell epitope was located in the fusion peptide of the hemagglutinin. The fusion peptide was also found to contain antibody epitopes in humans and animals. A short stretch of well-conserved peptide was also identified in the other surface glycoprotein, neuraminidase, and antibodies binding to this peptide were generated by peptide immunization in rabbits. Although PB1, the only protein which has relatively high overall sequence homology between influenza A and B viruses, is not considered an immunodominant protein in the T cell responses to influenza A virus infection, amino acid sequence comparisons show that a considerable number of previously identified T cell epitopes in the PB1 of influenza A viruses are conserved in the PB1 of influenza B viruses. These data indicate that B and T cell cross-reactivity exists between influenza A and B viruses, which may have modulatory effects on the disease process and recovery. Although the antibody titers and the specific T cell frequencies induced by natural infection or standard vaccination may not be high enough to provide cross protection in humans, it might be possible to develop immunization strategies to induce these cross-reactive responses more efficiently.

Complement-dependent lysis of influenza a virus-infected cells by broadly cross-reactive human monoclonal antibodies.

We characterized human monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) cloned from influenza virus-infected patients and from influenza vaccine recipients by complement-dependent lysis (CDL) assay. Most MAbs active in CDL were neutralizing, but not all neutralizing MAbs can mediate CDL. Two of the three stalk-specific neutralizing MAbs tested were able to mediate CDL and were more cross-reactive to temporally distant H1N1 strains than the conventional hemagglutination-inhibiting and neutralizing MAbs. One of the stalk-specific MAbs was subtype cross-reactive to H1 and H2 hemagglutinins, suggesting a role for stalk-specific antibodies in protection against influenza illness, especially by a novel viral subtype which can cause pandemics.

Development of antigen-specific memory CD8+ T cells following live-attenuated chimeric West Nile virus vaccination.

ChimeriVax-WN02 is a novel live-attenuated West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine containing modified WNV premembrane (prM) and envelope (E) sequences inserted into the yellow fever 17D vaccine genome. We investigated the induction and evolution of CD8(+) T cell responses to a WNV envelope epitope, which is a dominant target in naturally infected HLA-A*02-positive individuals. WNV epitope-specific CD8(+) T cells were detected by HLA tetramer staining in 22 of 23 donors tested, with peak frequencies occurring between days 14 and 28. WNV epitope-specific T cells evolved from an effector phenotype to a long-lived memory phenotype. In the majority of donors, CD8(+) T cells were able to lyse targets expressing WNV envelope protein and produced macrophage inflammatory protein 1ß, interferon γ, and/or tumor necrosis factor α following envelope peptide stimulation. WNV E-specific CD8(+) T cell responses were detected for up to 1 year after vaccination. The evolution of this WNV-specific T cell response is similar to that observed in established, highly immunogenic vaccines.

Dengue--how best to classify it.

Dengue has emerged as a major public health problem worldwide. Dengue virus infection causes a wide range of clinical manifestations. Since the 1970s, clinical dengue has been classified according to the World Health Organization guideline as dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever. The classification has been criticized with regard to its usefulness and its applicability. In 2009, the World Health Organization issued a new guideline that classifies clinical dengue as dengue and severe dengue. The 2009 classification differs significantly from the previous classification in both conceptual and practical levels. The impacts of the new classification on clinical practice, dengue research, and public health policy are discussed.

Altered effector functions of virus-specific and virus cross-reactive CD8+ T cells in mice immunized with related flaviviruses.

Memory cross-reactive CD8+ T-cell responses may induce protection or immunopathology upon secondary viral challenge. To elucidate the potential role of T cells in sequential flavivirus infection, we characterized cross-reactive CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses between attenuated and pathogenic Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and pathogenic West Nile virus (WNV). A previously reported WNV NS4b CD8+ T-cell epitope and its JEV variant elicited CD8+ T-cell responses in both JEV- and WNV-infected mice. The peptide variant homologous to the immunizing virus induced greater cytokine secretion and activated higher frequencies of epitope-specific CD8+ T cells. However, there was a virus-dependent, peptide variant-independent pattern of cytokine secretion; the IFNgamma+-to-IFNgamma+TNFalpha+ CD8+ T-cell ratio was greater in JEV- than in WNV-infected mice. Despite similarities in viral burden for pathogenic WNV and JEV viruses, CD8+ T cells from pathogenic JEV-immunized mice exhibited functional and phenotypic profiles similar to those seen for the attenuated JEV strain. Patterns of killer cell lectin-like receptor G1 (KLRG1) and CD127 expression differed by virus type, with a rapid expansion and contraction of short-lived effector cells in JEV infection and persistence of high levels of short-lived effector cells in WNV infection. Such cross-reactive T-cell responses to primary infection may affect the outcomes of sequential flavivirus infections.

Clonal vaccinia virus grown in cell culture as a new smallpox vaccine.

Although the smallpox virus was eradicated over 20 years ago, its potential release through bioterrorism has generated renewed interest in vaccination. To develop a modern smallpox vaccine, we have adapted vaccinia virus that was derived from the existing Dryvax vaccine for growth in a human diploid cell line. We characterized six cloned and one uncloned vaccine candidates. One clone, designated ACAM1000, was chosen for development based on its comparability to Dryvax when tested in mice, rabbits and monkeys for virulence and immunogenicity. By most measures, ACAM1000 was less virulent than Dryvax. We compared ACAM1000 and Dryvax in a randomized, double-blind human clinical study. The vaccines were equivalent in their ability to produce major cutaneous reactions ('takes') and to induce neutralizing antibody and cell-mediated immunity against vaccinia virus.

Sequential immunization with heterologous chimeric flaviviruses induces broad-spectrum cross-reactive CD8+ T cell responses.

Flavivirus vaccines based on ChimeriVax technology contain the nonstructural genes of the yellow fever vaccine and the premembrane and envelope genes of heterologous flaviviruses, such as Japanese encephalitis and West Nile viruses. These chimeric vaccines induce both humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Mice were vaccinated with yellow fever, chimeric Japanese encephalitis virus (YF/JE), or chimeric West Nile virus (YF/WN) vaccines, followed by a secondary homologous or heterologous vaccination; the hierarchy and function of CD8(+) T cell responses to a variable envelope epitope were then analyzed and compared with those directed against a conserved immunodominant yellow fever virus NS3 epitope. Sequential vaccination with heterologous chimeric flaviviruses generated a broadly cross-reactive CD8(+) T cell response dependent on both the sequence of infecting viruses and epitope variant. The enhanced responses to variant epitopes after heterologous vaccination were not related to preexisting antibody or to higher virus titers. These results demonstrate that the sequence of vaccination affects the expansion of cross-reactive CD8(+) T cells after heterologous chimeric flavivirus challenge.

Non-neutralizing antibody responses following A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza vaccination with or without AS03 adjuvant system.

BACKGROUND: Non-neutralizing antibodies inducing complement-dependent lysis (CDL) and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity may contribute to protection against influenza infection. We investigated CDL and ADCC responses in healthy adults randomized to receive either non-adjuvanted or AS03-adjuvanted monovalent A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine (containing 15 µg/3.75 µg of hemagglutinin, respectively) on a 2-dose schedule 21 days apart. METHODS: We conducted an exploratory analysis of a subset of 106 subjects having no prior history of A(H1N1)pdm09 infection or seasonal influenza vaccination enrolled in a previously reported study (NCT00985673). Antibody responses against the homologous A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) vaccine strain and a related A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1) seasonal influenza strain were analyzed up to Day 42. RESULTS: Baseline seropositivity determined with hemagglutination inhibition (HI), CDL and ADCC antibody titers against viral strains was high; A/California/7/2009 (HI [40.4-48.1%]; CDL [34.6-36.0%]; ADCC [92.1-92.3%]); A/Brisbane/59/2007 (HI [73.1-88.9%]; CDL [38.0-42.0%]; ADCC [86.8-97.0%]). CDL seropositivity increased following vaccination with both adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted formulations (A/California/7/2009 [95.9-100%]; A/Brisbane/59/2007 [75.5-79.6%]). At Day 21, increases in CDL and ADCC antibody geometric mean titers against both strains were observed for both formulations. After 2 doses of AS03-adjuvanted vaccine, vaccine responses of 95.8% (≥9-fold increase from baseline in CDL titers) and 34.3% (≥16-fold increase from baseline in ADCC titers) were seen against A/California/7/2009; and 22.4% and 42.9%, respectively, against A/Brisbane/59/2007. Vaccine responses after 2 doses of the non-adjuvanted vaccine were broadly similar. CONCLUSIONS: Broadly comparable non-neutralizing immune responses were observed following vaccination with non-adjuvanted and AS03-adjuvanted A(H1N1)pdm09 formulations; including activity against a related vaccine strain.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever: the sensitivity and specificity of the world health organization definition for identification of severe cases of dengue in Thailand, 1994-2005.

BACKGROUND: Dengue virus infection causes a spectrum of clinical manifestations, usually classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines into dengue fever (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). The ability of these guidelines to categorize severe dengue illness has recently been questioned. METHODS: We evaluated dengue case definitions in a prospective study at a pediatric hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, during 1994-2005. One thousand thirteen children were enrolled within the first 3 days after onset of fever and observed with standardized data collection. Cases were classified on the basis of application of the strict WHO criteria. All dengue virus infections were laboratory confirmed. We retrospectively grouped patients on the basis of whether they received significant intervention based on fluid replacement and/or requirements for blood transfusion. RESULTS: Eighty-five (58%) of 150 persons with DHF, 40 (15%) of 264 with DF, and 73 (12%) of 599 with other febrile illnesses (OFIs) received significant intervention. Sixty-eight percent of dengue cases requiring intervention met strict WHO criteria for DHF. In contrast, only 1% of OFI cases met WHO criteria for DHF. Plasma leakage and thrombocytopenia were the 2 components contributing to the specificity of the WHO case definition and identified dengue cases that required intervention. Hemorrhagic tendency did not reliably differentiate DF and DHF. In DF cases, thrombocytopenia and bleeding were associated with severity. CONCLUSIONS: Dengue illness is heterogeneous in severity, and severe clinical features occurred in patients whose cases were not characterized as DHF. The WHO case definition of DHF demonstrated sensitivity of 62% and specificity of 92% for identification of dengue illness requiring intervention, without the need for laboratory confirmation of dengue virus infection, in an area of endemicity.

Quantitation of CD8+ T cell responses to newly identified HLA-A*0201-restricted T cell epitopes conserved among vaccinia and variola (smallpox) viruses.

Immunization with vaccinia virus resulted in long-lasting protection against smallpox and was the approach used to eliminate natural smallpox infections worldwide. Due to the concern about the potential use of smallpox virus as a bioweapon, smallpox vaccination is currently being reintroduced. Severe complications from vaccination were associated with congenital or acquired T cell deficiencies, but not with congenital agammaglobulinemia, suggesting the importance of T cell immunity in recovery from infection. In this report, we identified two CD8+ T cell epitopes restricted by the most common human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I allele, HLA-A*0201. Both epitopes are highly conserved in vaccinia and variola viruses. The frequency of vaccinia-specific CD8+ T cell responses to these epitopes measured by interferon (IFN)-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay and HLA/peptide tetramer staining peaked 2 wk after primary immunization and then declined, but were still detectable 1 to 3 yr after primary immunization. 2 wk after immunization, IFN-gamma-producing cells specific to these two epitopes were 14% of total vaccinia virus-specific IFN-gamma-producing cells in one donor, 35% in the second donor, and 6% in the third donor. This information will be useful for studies of human T cell memory and for the design and analyses of the immunogenicity of experimental vaccinia vaccines.

Long-lived memory T lymphocyte responses after hantavirus infection.

Puumala virus (PUUV) is a hantavirus that causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which is an important public health problem in large parts of Europe. We examined the memory cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses in 13 Finnish individuals who had HFRS between 1984 and 1995. In seven of these donors, we detected virus-specific CTL responses against the PUUV nucleocapsid (N) protein after in vitro stimulation with PUUV. Six novel CD8(+) CTL epitopes were defined on the N protein and were found to be restricted by various HLA alleles including A2, A28, B7, and B8. This is the first demonstration of PUUV-specific CTL responses in humans, and the first identification of CTL epitopes on PUUV. In addition, this study provides one of the few characterizations of a human antiviral memory T cell response, without the complicating issues of virus persistence or reinfection. Interferon (IFN)-gamma ELISPOT analysis showed that memory CTL specific for these epitopes were present at high frequency in PUUV-immune individuals many years after acute infection in the absence of detectable viral RNA. The frequencies of PUUV-specific CTL were comparable to or exceeded those found in other viral systems including influenza, EBV and HIV, in which CTL responses may be boosted by periodic reinfection or virus persistence.

A role for the mevalonate pathway in the induction of subtype cross-reactive immunity to influenza A virus by human gammadelta T lymphocytes.

The major gammadelta T cell subset in the human peripheral blood expresses the Vgamma9delta2 TCR and recognizes non-peptidic prenyl pyrophosphate antigens such as isopentylpyrophosphate (IPP). Upon activation the gammadelta T cells rapidly secrete antiviral cytokines similar to classical memory alphabeta T cells. Here we have investigated the ability of gammadelta T lymphocytes from human PBMC to become activated by influenza A virus infection. Vgamma9Vdelta2 T lymphocytes rapidly upregulate expression of CD25 and CD69 and produce IFN-gamma following influenza infection of PBMC. Moreover, the recognition is cross-reactive between various subtypes of influenza, but not with vaccinia virus. Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell responses are potently reduced by the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor mevastatin, which inhibits the mevalonate pathway and IPP synthesis. Our results indicate that influenza virus infection induces the rapid activation and function of Vgamma9Vdelta2 T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood via a mechanism that depends on the mevalonate pathway.

Microevolution of Dengue viruses circulating among primary school children in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand.

To determine the extent and structure of genetic variation in dengue viruses (DENV) on a restricted spatial and temporal scale, we sequenced the E (envelope) genes of DENV-1, -2, and -3 isolates collected in 2001 from children enrolled in a prospective school-based study in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand, and diagnosed with dengue disease. Our analysis revealed substantial viral genetic variation in both time and space, with multiple viral lineages circulating within individual schools, suggesting the frequent gene flow of DENV into this microenvironment. More-detailed analyses of DENV-2 samples revealed strong clustering of viral isolates within individual schools and evidence of more-frequent viral gene flow among schools closely related in space. Conversely, we observed little evolutionary change in those viral isolates sampled over multiple time points within individual schools, indicating a low rate of mutation fixation. These results suggest that frequent viral migration into Kamphaeng Phet, coupled with population (school) subdivision, shapes the genetic diversity of DENV on a local scale, more so than in situ evolution within school catchment areas.

Influenza A virus matrix protein 1-specific human CD8+ T-cell response induced in trivalent inactivated vaccine recipients.

Among 17 HLA-A2-positive healthy adults, CD8+ T-cell responses against an HLA-A2-restricted matrix protein 1 (M1) epitope increased after immunization with trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) in two individuals. The presence of M1 in TIV was confirmed by Western blotting. T-cell cytotoxicity assays showed that TIV is processed and the epitope is presented by antigen-presenting cells to an M1 epitope-specific CD8+ T-cell line for specific lysis. These data show that TIV, which is formulated to contain surface glycoproteins to induce serotype-specific antibody responses, also contains M1, capable of inducing subtype cross-reactive CD8+ T-cell responses in some vaccinees.

Burden of symptomatic dengue infection in children at primary school in Thailand: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Dengue viruses are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in tropical and subtropical areas. Our aim was to assess prospectively the burden of dengue-related illness in children in Thailand. METHODS: We did a prospective study in a cohort of children at primary school in northern Thailand from 1998 to 2002. We assessed the burden of dengue illness as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and patient costs per illness. FINDINGS: Dengue accounted for 328 (11%) of the 3056 febrile cases identified in 2114 children during the study period. The mean burden of dengue was 465.3 (SD 358.0; range 76.5-954.0) DALYs per million population per year, accounting for about 15% of DALYs lost to all febrile illnesses (3213.1 [SD 2624.2] DALYs per million per year). Non-hospitalised patients with dengue illnesses represented a substantial proportion of the overall burden of disease, with 44-73% of the total DALYs lost to dengue each year due to such illness. The infecting dengue serotype was an important determinant of DALYs lost: DEN4 was responsible for 1% of total DALYs lost, DEN1 for 9%, DEN2 for 30%, and DEN3 for 29%. INTERPRETATION: Use of prospective data to estimate the burden of disease shows that most DALYs lost to dengue illness were the result of non-hospitalised illnesses of long duration. Thus, inclusion of non-hospitalised cases is critical to accurately assess the total burden of dengue illness.