Assessment of naturally acquired IgG antibodies to pneumococcal vaccine serotypes in healthy and type 2 diabetic adults in India

IntroductionThis study sought to explore the immunogenicity of a booster dose of an inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and identify the factors affecting the magnitude of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels.Materials and methodsA total of 34 people living with HIV (PLWH) and 34 healthy donors (HD) were administered a booster dose of the same SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were measured using the SARS-CoV-2 S protein neutralizing antibody Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and 2019-nCov IgG Chemiluminescent Immunoassay Microparticles, respectively. Spearman correlation analysis was used to measure the correlation between laboratory markers and neutralizing antibody and IgG levels. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were extracted from each subject using density gradient centrifugation and the numbers of memory T and T follicular helper (Tfh) cells were determined using flow cytometry.ResultsPLWH had a marked reduction in CD4 and B cell levels that was accompanied by a lower CD4/CD8 T cell ratio. However, those who received a supplementary dose of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines exhibited antibody positivity rates that were analogous to levels previously observed. The booster vaccine led to a reduction in IgG and neutralizing antibody levels and the amplitude of this decline was substantially higher in the PLWH than HD group. Correlation analyses revealed a strong correlation between neutralizing antibody levels and the count and proportion of CD4 cells. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels followed a similar trend. The expression of memory T and Tfh cells was considerably lower in the PLWH than in the HD group.DiscussionPLWH had an attenuated immune response to a third (booster) administration of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, as shown by lower neutralizing antibody and IgG levels. This could be attributed to the reduced responsiveness of CD4 cells, particularly memory T and cTfh subsets. CD4 and cTfh cells may serve as pivotal markers of enduring and protective antibody levels. Vaccination dose recalibration may be critical for HIV-positive individuals, particularly those with a lower proportion of CD4 and Tfh cells.

Despite a recent decline, atherosclerosis remains the most common cause of death in the Western world. The disease course of atherosclerosis is characterized by its chronicity, with progression in its initial stages being particularly insidious. Chronic inflammation is the pathological hallmark of atherosclerosis,1–4 and inflammatory processes are instrumental at all stages of this disease. Even before the development of detectable intimal lesions, the expression pattern of the endothelium has been shown to be inflammatory in nature, conforming to the response-to-injury hypothesis first postulated by the late Russell Ross.5 Thus, in lesion-prone sites of the arterial tree, the endothelial expression of adhesion molecules is upregulated, reflecting endothelial dysfunction secondary to unfavorable blood rheology6 and/or hypercholesterolemia.7–9 Atherosclerosis is known today to be associated with the burden of infection as well.10 The presence of infectious/inflammatory pathogeneses raises the autoimmune aspect of the condition.11–14 Anti–oxidized LDL (oxLDL) antibodies are exceptional among the autoantibodies prevalent in atherosclerosis: on the one hand, a correlation was found between the existence and titers of anti-oxLDL antibodies and the extent of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) (Table 1). On the other hand, experimental data indicate that anti-oxLDL antibodies may be protective. View this table: TABLE 1. Correlation Between Titers of Anti-oxLDL Abs and Atherosclerosis and CVD oxLDL frequently presents in the sera of patients with autoimmune conditions, acute coronary syndrome, or stable coronary artery disease (CAD).15–18 OxLDL has been associated with both subclinical atherosclerosis and inflammatory variables.19 A large amount of oxLDL accumulates in atherosclerotic plaques,20–22 and the serum concentrations of circulating oxLDL may correlate with the severity of CAD23 and acute coronary syndrome.24 OxLDL seems to be an immunogenic molecule that stimulates the induction of anti-oxLDL antibodies. Thus, it is not surprising that an association was found between the presence …

Dose and outcomes in primary immunodeficiency disorders.

Decision letter: Enteropathogen antibody dynamics and force of infection among children in low-resource settings

To evaluate immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) responses to tuberculous-glycolipid antigen (TBGL-IgG and -IgA) in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients and healthy controls in Thailand. Anti-TBGL antibody titres and other TB related markers were measured in the serum samples of 24 adults with pulmonary TB (PTB), 28 healthy adults (HA), 23 children with TB (CTB) and 24 healthy children (HC). Both TBGL-IgG and -IgA titres were significantly higher only in adult PTB cases compared to controls (P < 0.001 for all). TBGL-IgG was highly sensitive (92%) in PTB patients, but frequent positive proportions of TBGL-IgG (46%) and -IgA (36%) in HAs were the cause of low specificities of TBGL-IgG (54%) and -IgA (64%); that of TBGL-IgG+IgA (75%) was the highest. Antibody titres were positively correlated in TBGL-IgG+IgA double-positive HAs (HA+, 7/28, P < 0.01), but not in HA- (P > 0.05). Serum IgG and IgA levels were not correlated with TBGL-IgG or -IgA levels (P > 0.05). KL-6 and leptin levels were normal and were not different between HA+ and HA-, indicating absence of active TB in HAs. Enhanced TBGL-IgG+IgA responses in HAs could indicate latent TB infection. Careful follow-up studies in HAs could clarify the significance of elevated TBGL antibodies as early disease markers.

Clinical data are lacking on optimal levels of specific antipneumococcal antibodies (PnPsAbs) in patients with primary immunodeficiency (PID) receiving intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) replacement. Objectives were to conduct a prospective multicenter study providing data on total immunoglobulin G (IgG) and peak/trough levels of PnPsAbs specifically targeting the 16 most prevalent pneumococcal serotypes in IVIG-treated children with PID; to compare trough PnPsAb levels with those measured in healthy adults and the IVIG product; and to evaluate PnPsAb protection correlates with thresholds based on World Health Organization. Patients received 7 consecutive IVIG infusions. Total IgG and PnPsAb levels were determined on plasma samples obtained before and after infusion. Twenty-two children with PID were treated with IVIG (mean weekly dose: 0.10 g/kg). The mean trough and peak levels of total IgG were 7.77 and 13.93 g/L, respectively. Trough and peak geometric mean concentrations and distribution curves differed between serotypes and showed wide dispersion (0.17-7.96 µg/mL). In patients (89%-100%), antibodies against most serotypes reached trough levels ≥ 0.2 µg/mL, a threshold considered protective against invasive pneumococcal infection. For several serotypes, trough levels reached ≥ 1.0 to 1.3 µg/mL, the level found in adults. Trough geometric mean concentrations correlated well with the PnPsAb contents of the IVIG product. In IVIG-treated children with PID, protective PnPsAb levels for most pathogenic serotypes were obtained. A correlation was observed between PnPsAb levels in patients and in the IVIG product. This offers the potential to improve infection prevention by adapting the IVIG product and dose according to epidemiology.

Persistence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM in convalescent COVID-19 patients

Background: Due to increased vaccination rates and the continued spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, many people are developing “hybrid immunity” to the virus. On the other hand, a high body mass index (BMI) has been associated with a reduced immune response to vaccination.the aims of this study was to measuring the level of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) generated against different types of vaccines in vaccinated individuals with and without previous infection and with BMI. a cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2021 and April 2022. Methods: A blood sample was obtained from 174 vaccinated persons. SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels and IFN-γ were detected using SARS-CoV-2 IgG II quant and ELISAtechniques, respectively. statistical Analysis Used IBM SPSS version 24 software was used. Quantitative results are indicated as mean ± standard deviation. The statistical significance level was set at P &lt; 0.05. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in IgG and IFN-γ mean levels between the vaccinated individual with and without confirmed previous infection. However, there was a significant difference in the case of the AstraZeneca vaccine regarding IgG levels only. The mean antibody concentration of patients with normal weight who received the Pfizer vaccine showed a slightly significant difference. Regarding the IFN-γ level, there was a significant difference among the three types of vaccines in obese individuals. Conclusion: Previous infection with coronavirus disease-2019 seems to have no effect on IgG and IFN-γ levels after vaccination. In addition, normal-weight individuals might possibly respond better to the vaccine and produce more antibody levels.

Ebola virus disease is a complex zoonosis that is highly virulent in humans. Despite its sorely pathogenic and lethal nature, survivors of this infection and even asymptomatic cases are able to develop both humoral and cellular immunity against several Ebola virus (EBOV) proteins. We aimed at determining immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies level against two Ebola viral antigens, the glycoprotein and the nucleoprotein in Ebola survivors and their relatives. Anti-EBOV glycoprotein (GP) and nucleoprotein (NP) IgG antibodies were quantified using ELISA. We enrolled 199 participants in two different sites as follow: 91 survivors at the Loreto clinic and 70 survivors with 38 relatives of Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors Bombali Branch (SLAESB) tested for anti-EBOV NP and anti-EBOV GP IgG antibodies. Our findings revealed that the median anti-EBOV IgG level among survivors was 5.7128 U/ml [IQR: 2.793 - 7.783] for anti-EBOV GP IgG and 4.431 U/ml [IQR: 2.083 - 7.696] for anti-EBOV NP IgG. Survivors relatives had a median anti-EBOV GP IgG level of ?0.7128 U/ml [IQR: -0.903 to -0.04327] and -2.711 U/ml [IQR: -4.01 to -1.918] for anti-EBOV NP IgG. We observed that IgG levels in survivors were higher than in relatives with a significant difference of about 0.0001. The median value of anti-EBOV IgG level among seropositive relatives was 0.7043 U/ml [IQR: 0.5686 to 3.716] for anti-EBOV GP IgG and 4.05 U/ml [IQR: 0.2765 to 7.759] for anti-EBOV NP IgG respectively. Interestingly, we observed that 3.30% of Loreto clinic survivors did not developed anti-EBOV NP IgG antibodies; also about 10% survivors of the SLAESB were not reactive to anti-EBOV NP IgG and 1.43% of these survivors did not express antibodies against the Ebola viral glycoprotein. Our work is consistent with previous published studies showing heterogeneity in both survivors and asymptomatic cases of Ebola infection developing adaptive immunity against EBOV proteins.

BackgroundHBB, IL4, IL12, TNF, LTA, NCR3 and FCGR2A polymorphisms have been associated with malaria resistance in humans, whereas cytophilic immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are thought to play a critical role in immune protection against asexual blood stages of the parasite. Furthermore, HBB, IL4, TNF, and FCGR2A have been associated with both malaria resistance and IgG levels. This suggests that some malaria resistance genes influence the levels of IgG subclass antibodies.MethodsIn this study, the effect of HBB, IL4, IL12, TNF, LTA, NCR3 and FCGR2A polymorphisms on the levels of IgG responses against Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage extract was investigated in 220 individuals living in Burkina Faso. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient among IgG subclasses was determined. A family-based approach was used to assess the association of polymorphisms with anti-P. falciparum IgG, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 levels.ResultsAfter applying a multiple test correction, several polymorphisms were associated with IgG subclass or IgG levels. There was an association of i) haemoglobin C with IgG levels; ii) the FcγRIIa H/R131 with IgG2 and IgG3 levels; iii) TNF-863 with IgG3 levels; iv) TNF-857 with IgG levels; and, v) TNF1304 with IgG3, IgG4, and IgG levels.ConclusionTaken together, the results support the hypothesis that some polymorphisms affect malaria resistance through their effect on the acquired immune response, and pave the way towards further comprehension of genetic control of an individual’s humoral response against malaria.

Objective: We have comprehensively evaluated an immunologic response to food antigens, mediated by immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies, on clinical aspects of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT).Methods: IgG antibodies to 125 food antigens were measured in serum samples of 74 HT patients and 245 controls using microarray-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. We analyzed differences in IgG levels between two groups and evaluated correlations between food-specific IgG levels and HT-related clinical phenotypes (thyroid hormones/antibodies, symptoms of hypothyroidism, measures of body size and blood pressure) and food consumption in HT patients.Results: We observed increased IgG levels to 12 different food antigens in either HT cases or controls, of which plum-specific IgG antibodies were significantly higher (p = 1.70 × 10−8), and almond-specific IgG antibodies were significantly lower (p = 8.11 × 10−5) in HT patients in comparison to controls, suggesting their possible roles in HT etiology or symptomatology. There was no significant correlation between any of 12 increased food-specific IgG antibodies, along with gluten-specific IgG, with clinically important phenotypes, such as thyroid hormones/antibodies or symptoms. Among other tested correlations, the most interesting is the negative correlation between coffee and tea combined IgG levels and number of symptoms, suggesting possible beneficial effect of tea and coffee on disease symptoms. We also found that food consumption is not correlated with IgG levels.Conclusions: Distribution of food-specific IgG antibodies is comparable between HT patients and controls, with the exception of plum and almond. There is no evidence that increased food-specific IgG antibodies are associated with clinical aspects of HT. Clarification of biology behind formation of these antibodies is needed.

Our previous studies reported on the obstetric, periodontal, and microbiologic outcomes of women participating in the Obstetrics and Periodontal Therapy (OPT) Study. This article describes the systemic antibody responses to selected periodontal bacteria in the same patients. Serum samples, obtained from pregnant women at baseline (13 to 16 weeks; 6 days of gestation) and 29 to 32 weeks, were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody to Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (previously Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans), Campylobacter rectus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythia (previously T. forsythensis), and Treponema denticola. At baseline, women who delivered live preterm infants had significantly lower total serum levels of IgG antibody to the panel of periodontal pathogens (P = 0.0018), to P. gingivalis (P = 0.0013), and to F. nucleatum (P = 0.0200) than women who delivered at term. These differences were not significant at 29 to 32 weeks. Changes in IgG levels between baseline and 29 to 32 weeks were not associated with preterm birth when adjusted for treatment group, clinical center, race, or age. In addition, delivery of low birth weight infants was not associated with levels of antibody at baseline or with antibody changes during pregnancy. Live preterm birth is associated with decreased levels of IgG antibody to periodontal pathogens in women with periodontitis when assessed during the second trimester. Changes in IgG antibody during pregnancy are not associated with birth outcomes.

Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem. Conventional tests are inadequate to distinguish between active tuberculosis (ATB) and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). We measured antibody responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens (Mycobacterium tuberculosis chorismate mutase (TBCM), antigen 85B (Ag85B), early secreted antigen-6 (ESAT-6), and culture filtrate protein-10 (CFP-10) in ATB, LTBI, and non-infected (NI) individuals. Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels were measured and the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube assay was used to diagnose LTBI. IgG levels against TBCM were significantly higher in LTBI than NI subjects. IgG and IgA levels against Ag85B and IgG levels against CFP-10 were significantly higher in ATB, followed by LTBI, and then NI. When the ATB group was subdivided, IgG levels against Ag85B and CFP-10 were significantly higher in each subgroup compared with those in LTBI and NI groups. Positive correlation trends between interferon-gamma and IgG levels against Ag85B, TBCM, and CFP-10 and IgA levels against Ag85B in LTBI and NI subjects were observed. Age- and sex-adjusted models showed that IgG against TBCM and CFP-10 was independently related to LTBI diagnosis, and IgG against Ag85B was independently related to the diagnosis of ATB and could distinguish between LTBI and ATB. Overall, IgG antibody responses to TBCM, Ag85B, and CFP-10 can discriminate among ATB, LTBI, and NI groups.

Young children and older adults are susceptible for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Pneumococcal protein-specific antibodies play a protective role against IPD; however, not much is known about the pace of acquisition, maturation, and maintenance of these antibodies throughout life. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA levels, avidity, and/or specificity to the pneumococcal proteome in serum and saliva from healthy young children, adults, and older adults, with known carriage status, were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and 2-dimensional western blotting against ΔcpsTIGR4. Eleven-month-old children, the youngest age group tested, had the lowest pneumococcal proteome-specific IgG and IgA levels and avidity in serum and saliva, followed by 24-month-old children and were further elevated in adult groups. Among adult groups, the parents had the highest serum and saliva IgG and IgA antibody levels. In children, antibody levels and avidity correlated with daycare attendance and presence of siblings, posing as proxy for exposure and immunization. Immunodominance patterns slightly varied throughout life. Humoral immunity against the pneumococcal proteome is acquired through multiple episodes of pneumococcal exposure. Low-level and low-avidity antiproteome antibody profiles in young children may contribute to their IPD susceptibility, while in overall antiproteome antibody-proficient older adults other factors likely play a role.

Antibody Response to Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccines after Nonmyeloablative Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation