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Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses to Measles and Tetanus: The Importance of Elapsed Time Since Last Exposure and the Nature of the Antigen

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Abstract

Objective

This study aims to assess the cellular and humoral immune response pre- and post-vaccine rechallenge in healthy adults with previous exposure to measles (virus or vaccine) and different time intervals since last tetanus vaccine.

Methods

Humoral immunity was tested by ELISA, and cellular immunity was tested by intracellular interferon gamma detection after in vitro stimulation with antigens.

Results

While cellular immunity was comparable among vaccinated individuals and those who had measles, higher antibody levels were found in those who had the disease in the past. Both antibodies and CD4+ T cell tetanus immune responses depended on elapsed time since last immunization. Following a vaccine booster, an increase in cellular immunity and antibodies was observed to both tetanus and measles. Measles humoral response was much more intense among individuals previously exposed to a wild virus.

Conclusions

In an era when natural boosters are less frequent, an immune surveillance might be necessary to investigate waning immunity as occurs for tetanus.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Fundação de Auxílio à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), a Brazilian funding agency (05/57802-5 and 05/57571-3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Pedro de Toledo, 781-9 andar, 04039-032, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Patricia O. Viana, Erika Ono, Maristela Miyamoto, Lily Y. Weckx & Maria Isabel de Moraes-Pinto

  2. Division of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Reinaldo Salomao

  3. Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Beatriz T. Costa-Carvalho

Authors
  1. Patricia O. Viana
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  2. Erika Ono
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  3. Maristela Miyamoto
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  4. Reinaldo Salomao
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  5. Beatriz T. Costa-Carvalho
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  6. Lily Y. Weckx
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  7. Maria Isabel de Moraes-Pinto
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Isabel de Moraes-Pinto.

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Viana, P.O., Ono, E., Miyamoto, M. et al. Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses to Measles and Tetanus: The Importance of Elapsed Time Since Last Exposure and the Nature of the Antigen. J Clin Immunol 30, 574–582 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-010-9420-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-010-9420-7

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