Hemagglutination inhibition and alternate serologic responses following Influenza A(H3N2) virus infection

Although the hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titer remains the gold standard correlate of protection against influenza, it does not fully capture the broader antibody responses that contribute to immunity.

We analyzed immune responses in paired pre-infection and convalescent sera from 306 RT-PCR-confirmed A/H3N2 infections from two household studies (2014-18) in Managua, Nicaragua. Antibody responses were measured by HAI and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) against full-length hemagglutinin (HA), the HA stalk, and neuraminidase (NA). Participants were classified as HAI responders (≥4-fold HAI rise), alternate responders (no HAI rise but ≥4-fold boost in ≥1 ELISA), or no-response individuals (no ≥4-fold rise in any assay). We compared demographic, clinical, and pre-infection antibody characteristics across these groups. We also analyzed predictors of an NA response.

Overall, 77% of participants had HAI seroconversion or a 4-fold rise. Among the 23% HAI non-responders, 62% had alternate antibody responses. No-response individuals had the highest pre-infection HAI and full-length HA titers (p < 0.0001), the lowest viral loads, and the fewest fever or influenza like illness (ILI) symptoms (p < 0.01). An NA response was more common among symptomatic individuals (p = 0.0483) and those with low or high baseline NA titers.

High baseline HAI titers can limit detectable 4-fold rises and are associated with milder illness. Evaluating additional immune responses may capture a more complete picture of the host response to infection, thereby improving surveillance and informing vaccine development.