Antibody Specificity Following a Recent Bordetella pertussis Infection in Adolescence Is Correlated With the Pertussis Vaccine Received in Childhood

Abstract

Bordetella (B.) pertussis resurgence affects not only the unvaccinated, but also the vaccinated population. Different vaccines are available, however, it is currently unknown whether the type of childhood vaccination has an influence on antibody responses following a B. pertussis infection later in life. Therefore, the study aim was to profile serum antibody responses in young adults with suspected B. pertussis infections, immunized during childhood with either whole-cell (wPV) or monocomponent acellular pertussis (aPV) vaccines. Serum anti-pertussis toxin (PTx) IgG antibody levels served as an indicator for a recent B. pertussis infection. Leftover sera from a diagnostic laboratory from 36 Danish individuals were included and divided into four groups based on immunization background (aPV vs . wPV) and serum anti-PTx IgG levels (– vs . +). Pertussis-specific IgG/IgA antibody levels and antigen specificity were determined by using multiplex immunoassays (MIA), one- and two-dimensional immunoblotting (1 & 2DEWB), and mass spectrometry. Besides enhanced anti-PTx levels, wPV(+) and aPV(+) groups showed increased IgG and IgA levels against pertactin, filamentous hemagglutinin, fimbriae 2/3, and pertussis outer membrane vesicles (OMV). In the wPV(–) and aPV(–) groups, only low levels of anti-OMV antibodies were detected. 1DEWB demonstrated that antibody patterns differed between groups but also between individuals with the same immunization background and anti-PTx levels. 2DWB analysis for serum IgG revealed 133 immunogenic antigens of which 40 were significantly different between groups allowing to differentiate wPV(+) and aPV(+) groups. Similarly, for serum IgA, 7 of 47 immunogenic protein spots were significantly different. This study demonstrated that B. pertussis infection-induced antibody responses were distinct on antigen level between individuals with either wPV or aPV immunization background. Importantly, only 2DEWB and not MIA could detect these differences indicating the potential of this method. Moreover, in individuals immunized with an aPV containing only PTx in childhood, the infection-induced antibody responses were not limited to PTx alone.

Intranasal immunization with outer membrane vesicle pertussis vaccine confers broad protection through mucosal IgA and Th17 responses

“…These results indicate that the Th1/Th17 immune profile is related to omvPV, more than to the route of immunization. With respect to the antibody responses to these antigens, these were found to resemble antibody responses to natural B. pertussis infection in humans 29,30 and mice 16 . These broad antibody responses induced by omvPV may provide protection through multiple antibody mechanisms such as opsonizing and bactericidal activity as well as prevention of bacterial adhesion 31,32 .…”

Bordetella pertussis whole cell immunization protects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections

“…This bacterial protein is also highly abundant and immunogenic 34,35 . GroEL is a known immunogenic protein of B. pertussis and the presence of circulating anti-GroEL antibodies is characteristic of patients vaccinated with B. pertussis whole cell vaccines 44 . While some studies have shown that GroEL from various species can be protective as vaccine antigen and adjuvant in pre-clinical studies, GroEL from B. pertussis failed to protect against infections caused by this microorganism in mice 45,46 .…”

Assessment of IgA anti-PT and IgG anti-ACT reflex testing to improve Bordetella pertussis serodiagnosis in recently vaccinated subjects

“…An alternative explanation may be the immunization background of the subjects. Since wP-priming was reported to induce higher anti-PT IgA responses than aP-priming [30], the increased anti-PT IgA levels in infected adults may be associated with the switch from wP to aP vaccines in Belgium in 2001. In the present study, where vaccination history of subjects is age-dependent, around 20% of subjects were primed with aP (subjects aged 10e13 years for group A, subjects aged 10e16 years for groups CeH, none for groups Aþ and B).…”

“…It can therefore be expected that age-dependent IgA responses in infected subjects will decline with time since the proportion of wP-primed subjects is progressively decreasing in Belgium. Since most countries in the world are still using wP vaccines, and the type of childhood vaccination has an influence on antibody responses following a B. pertussis infection later in life [30], the usefulness of anti-PT IgA and anti-ACT IgG antibodies for diagnosis in these countries may be different. In the present study, comparing anti-PT IgA responses in infected and non-infected vaccinated subjects revealed an excellent specificity, sensitivity and accuracy for discriminating infection from vaccination.…”