Abstract
Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) has demonstrated varying levels of efficacy against seasonal influenza; however, LAIV may be used as a tool to measure interactions between the human microbiome and a live, replicating virus. To increase our knowledge of this interaction, we measured changes to the nasal microbiome in subjects who received LAIV to determine if associations between influenza-specific IgA production and the nasal microbiome exist after immunization with a live virus vaccine. The anterior nares of 47 healthy subjects were swabbed pre- (Day 0) and post- (Days 7 and 28) LAIV administration, and nasal washes were conducted on Days 0 and 28. We performed next-generation sequencing on amplified 16s rRNA genes and measured mucosal influenza-specific IgA titers via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A significant increase in alpha diversity was identified (Observed, CHAO, and ACE) between Days 7 vs 0 (p-values = 0.017, 0.005, 0.005, respectively) and between Days 28 vs 0 (p-values = 0.054, 0.030, 0.050, respectively). Several significant associations between the presence of different microbial species, including Lactobacillus helveticus, Prevotella melaninogenica, Streptococcus infantis, Veillonella dispar, and Bacteroides ovatus, and influenza-specific H1 and H3 IgA antibody response were demonstrated. These data suggest that LAIV alters the nasal microbiome, allowing several less-abundant OTUs to establish a community niche. Additionally, specific alterations in the nasal microbiome are significantly associated with variations in influenza-specific IgA antibody production and could be clinically relevant.
Highlights
Influenza causes significant economic and health-related burdens worldwide, resulting in an estimated three to five million cases of serious illness and 250,000–500,000 deaths annually [1]
Studies have demonstrated the importance of commensal bacteria in immune responsiveness to influenza vaccination and infection in various ways, including the positive impact of probiotic supplements on the immune system [28,29,30,31]
T-Statistic 2.45 1.96 -0.54 2.90 2.21 -0.74 2.86 1.99 -0.93 1.24 1.08 -0.18 p-Value 0.017 0.054 0.590 0.005 0.023 0.462 0.005 0.050 0.356 0.220 0.284 0.857 genes linked to interferon activation and antiviral immunity, was detected in mice that received antibiotic treatment against commensal bacteria prior to exposure to influenza virus [6]
Summary
Influenza causes significant economic and health-related burdens worldwide, resulting in an estimated three to five million cases of serious illness and 250,000–500,000 deaths annually [1]. Annual influenza vaccination is the best available method of protection against the disease; the protection offered by the vaccine is imperfect. These activities have been reviewed by the Mayo Clinic Conflict of Interest Review Board and are conducted in compliance with Mayo Clinic Conflict of Interest policies. This research has been reviewed by the Mayo Clinic Conflict of Interest Review Board and was conducted in compliance with Mayo Clinic Conflict of Interest policies. The other authors do not have any conflicts of interest. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials
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