Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 18, 2025
Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
Changes in epigenetic profiles throughout early childhood and their relationship to the response to pneumococcal
Sara Pischedda1,2,3, Daniel O'Connor4, Benjamin P Fairfax5
1Genetics, Vaccines and Infections and Pediatrics Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. sara.pischedda01@gmail.com.
Insights
Epigenetic changes in early childhood are linked to immune responses to pneumococcal vaccines. Understanding these epigenetic modifications can improve infant vaccination strategies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Epigenetics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Pneumococcal infections pose significant risks to young children.
- Immune system immaturity contributes to suboptimal vaccine responses in infants.
- Epigenetics plays a crucial role in immune system development and regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate epigenetic alterations in early childhood.
- To explore the relationship between the epigenome and antibody responses to pneumococcal vaccination.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed epigenetic profiles of 24 healthy children at 12 and 24 months.
- Utilized the Illumina Methylation 450K assay.
- Compared epigenetic differences over time and between high and low vaccine responders.
Main Results:
- Identified 721 differentially methylated positions between 12 and 24 months, enriched in cell adhesion and T cell activation pathways.
- Found differentially methylated CpG sites associated with HLA-DPB1 and IL6 in high versus low vaccine responders.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic changes during early childhood may correlate with antigen-specific antibody responses to pneumococcal vaccines.
- These findings suggest a potential role for epigenetics in optimizing infant vaccine efficacy.
Background:
Pneumococcal infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in young children and immaturity of the immune system partly underlies poor vaccine responses seen in the young. Emerging evidence suggests a key role for epigenetics in the maturation and regulation of the immune system in health and disease. The study aimed to investigate epigenetic changes in early life and to understand the relationship between the epigenome and antigen-specific antibody responses to pneumococcal vaccination.
Methods:
The epigenetic profiles from 24 healthy children were analyzed at 12 months prior to a booster dose of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-13), and at 24 months of age, using the Illumina Methylation 450 K assay and assessed for differences over time and between high and low vaccine responders.
Results:
Our analysis revealed 721 significantly differentially methylated positions between 12 and 24 months (FDR < 0.01), with significant enrichment in pathways involved in the regulation of cell-cell adhesion and T cell activation. Comparing high and low vaccine responders, we identified differentially methylated CpG sites (P value < 0.01) associated with HLA-DPB1 and IL6.
Conclusion:
These data imply that epigenetic changes that occur during early childhood may be associated with antigen-specific antibody responses to pneumococcal vaccines.
Related Concept Videos
01:51Vaccinations
01:37Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
01:46Epigenetic Regulation
01:24Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
01:22Development of Immunocompetence
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
01:20Gene-Environment Interactions