Effect of early carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae on the development of pneumococcal protein-specific cellular immune responses in infancy

AHJ Van Den Biggelaar, WS Pomat… - The Pediatric …, 2012 - journals.lww.com
AHJ Van Den Biggelaar, WS Pomat, S Phuanukoonnon, A Michael, C Aho, MA Nadal-Sims…
The Pediatric infectious disease journal, 2012journals.lww.com
Background: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between nasopharyngeal
pneumococcal colonization in early life and the subsequent development of pneumococcal-
specific T cell responses. Methods: Pernasal swabs were collected from Papua New
Guinean infants at the ages of 1 and 2 weeks (n= 279). At 9 months, in vitro cellular immune
responses to choline-binding protein A (n= 132), pneumococcal surface protein A (n= 132),
pneumolysin (n= 99), and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine carrier CRM 197 were …
Abstract
Background:
The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between nasopharyngeal pneumococcal colonization in early life and the subsequent development of pneumococcal-specific T cell responses.
Methods:
Pernasal swabs were collected from Papua New Guinean infants at the ages of 1 and 2 weeks (n= 279). At 9 months, in vitro cellular immune responses to choline-binding protein A (n= 132), pneumococcal surface protein A (n= 132), pneumolysin (n= 99), and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine carrier CRM 197 were determined. Responses were compared based on the children's carriage status within the first 2 weeks of life.
Results:
Within the first 2 weeks of life, 40% of the study children carried Streptococcus pneumoniae. Early carriage was associated with lower interferon-γ and interleukin 10 responses to pneumococcal proteins at age 9 months when children had not received pneumococcal conjugate vaccines during the study period.
Conclusions:
Early pneumococcal carriage may result in enhanced disease susceptibility and suboptimal vaccine responses by modulating the development of pneumococcal immune responses.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins