HLA antigens and the response to influenza A virus

An attempt was made to confirm a previously reported association between HLA type B16 and resistance to infection with live attenuated influenza A virus vaccine. No differences were found either in the ability of influenza virus to attach to fractionated white blood cells from HLB B16 subjects compared to cells from subjects of other HLA types, nor in the incidence of antibodies to three consecutive epidemic strains of influenza in sera from B16 subjects and control subjects. The association between HLA B16 and resistance to influenza could not be confirmed in a retrospective analysis of a clinical trial of a live attenuated influenza vaccine.