BACKGROUND: Immune function declines with age and has been associated with reduced vaccine responsiveness. Chronic infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been proposed as a contributor to poorer responses in older adults. A pneumococcal vaccine has been recommended in the United Kingdom for those aged >65 years since 2003 to prevent pneumococcal disease. METHODS: We evaluated the effect of age and CMV status on pneumococcal vaccine responses in 348 individuals aged 50-70 years. RESULTS: We found participant age to be associated with serotype-specific and functional antibody titers after pneumococcal vaccination, with a mean 6.2% (95% confidence interval, 2.9%-9.5%) reduction in postvaccination functional antibody titers per year. CMV status was not associated with serotype-specific immunoglobulin G concentrations or functional antibody titers after pneumococcal vaccination. However, CMV seropositivity was associated with higher levels of prevaccination functional antibody for 4 of 7 pneumococcal serotypes assessed. CONCLUSIONS: These data imply that CMV infection is not directly responsible for the decline in pneumococcal vaccine responses seen with age but suggest that CMV-seropositive individuals differ in their natural exposure to pneumococci or have altered mucosal immune responses after colonization with this organism.
BACKGROUND: Immune function declines with age and has been associated with reduced vaccine responsiveness. Chronic infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been proposed as a contributor to poorer responses in older adults. A pneumococcal vaccine has been recommended in the United Kingdom for those aged >65 years since 2003 to prevent pneumococcal disease. METHODS: We evaluated the effect of age and CMV status on pneumococcal vaccine responses in 348 individuals aged 50-70 years. RESULTS: We found participant age to be associated with serotype-specific and functional antibody titers after pneumococcal vaccination, with a mean 6.2% (95% confidence interval, 2.9%-9.5%) reduction in postvaccination functional antibody titers per year. CMV status was not associated with serotype-specific immunoglobulin G concentrations or functional antibody titers after pneumococcal vaccination. However, CMV seropositivity was associated with higher levels of prevaccination functional antibody for 4 of 7 pneumococcal serotypes assessed. CONCLUSIONS: These data imply that CMV infection is not directly responsible for the decline in pneumococcal vaccine responses seen with age but suggest that CMV-seropositive individuals differ in their natural exposure to pneumococci or have altered mucosal immune responses after colonization with this organism.
Authors: Carolyn M Nielsen; Matthew J White; Christian Bottomley; Chiara Lusa; Ana Rodríguez-Galán; Scarlett E G Turner; Martin R Goodier; Eleanor M Riley Journal: J Immunol Date: 2015-04-08 Impact factor: 5.422
Authors: Anke Redeker; Ester B M Remmerswaal; Esmé T I van der Gracht; Suzanne P M Welten; Thomas Höllt; Frits Koning; Luka Cicin-Sain; Janko Nikolich-Žugich; Ineke J M Ten Berge; René A W van Lier; Vincent van Unen; Ramon Arens Journal: Front Immunol Date: 2018-01-10 Impact factor: 7.561
Authors: David J C Miles; Florence Shumba; Annette Pachnio; Jusnara Begum; Elizabeth L Corbett; Robert S Heyderman; Paul Moss Journal: J Immunol Date: 2019-07-29 Impact factor: 5.422