Poor memory B cell generation contributes to non-protective responses to DTaP vaccine antigens in otitis-prone...

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Pediatrics
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Recurrent acute otitis media (AOM) in children is often linked to impaired immune responses.
• Previous studies identified children with recurrent AOM who do not develop protective antibody levels against common pathogens and vaccine antigens.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare antibody levels and memory B cell responses to DTaP vaccine antigens in children with and without recurrent AOM.
• To investigate the relationship between memory B cell frequency and circulating antibody titers in these children.

Main Methods:

• Sera from 15 otitis-prone (sOP) and 20 non-otitis-prone (NOP) children were analyzed for IgG antibody concentrations against diphtheria toxoid (DT), tetanus toxoid (TT), and acellular pertussis toxoid (PT).
• Peripheral blood samples were used to quantify antigen-specific CD19(+) CD27(+) memory B cells using fluorescently conjugated vaccine antigens.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare groups and assess correlations.

Main Results:

• sOP children exhibited significantly lower IgG antibody concentrations against DTaP vaccine antigens compared to NOP children.
• A significantly lower percentage of antigen-specific memory B cells was observed in sOP children.
• A positive linear correlation was found between memory B cell frequencies and IgG antibody titers for DT, TT, and PT.

Conclusions:

• Children with recurrent AOM demonstrate impaired adaptive immune responses to DTaP vaccination, characterized by reduced antibody production and memory B cell generation.
• These findings suggest a potential immunological basis for the susceptibility to infections in children with recurrent AOM.
• This study is the first to demonstrate differences in DTaP-specific memory B cell responses and their correlation with antibody levels in young children with recurrent AOM.