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Basic and translational research
Concise report
Cell-mediated immune responses to influenza vaccination in Wegener's granulomatosis
  1. Albert Holvast1,
  2. Aalzen de Haan2,
  3. Sander van Assen3,
  4. Coen A Stegeman4,
  5. Minke G Huitema1,
  6. Anke Huckriede2,
  7. Cornelis A Benne5,
  8. Johanna Westra1,
  9. Abraham Palache6,
  10. Jan Wilschut2,
  11. Cees G M Kallenberg1,
  12. Marc Bijl1
  1. 1Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
  2. 2Department of Medical Microbiology, Molecular Virology Section, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
  3. 3Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
  4. 4Department of Nephrology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
  5. 5Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, Groningen, the Netherlands
  6. 6Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Weesp, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to Dr A Holvast, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands; bertholvast{at}hotmail.com

Abstract

Background Both antibody and cell-mediated immune responses are involved in the defence against influenza. In Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), antibody responses to influenza vaccination appear to be similar to those in healthy controls, but cell-mediated responses have not been studied.

Objective To determine whether cell-mediated responses to influenza vaccination in WG vary from those in controls.

Methods Twenty-five patients with WG and healthy controls received subunit influenza vaccine. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained before and 1 month after vaccination. Cell-mediated responses to A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 were assessed using interferon γ (IFNγ) ELISpot and intracellular cytokine staining for IFNγ, tumour necrosis factor and interleukin 2.

Results Before vaccination, patients and controls showed similar recall responses to A/H1N1 and A/H3N2. After vaccination, patients and controls showed similar levels of increase in spot-forming cells against A/H1N1 and A/H3N2. By flow cytometry, upon vaccination, proportions of cytokine-producing CD4 T cells increased in patients and controls for A/H1N1 and A/H3N2.

Conclusions Cell-mediated responses to influenza vaccination in patients with WG are comparable to those in healthy controls.

Dutch Trials Register number NTR1130.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ard.2009.112813

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    Footnotes

    • Funding Unrestricted grants were received from Jan Kornelis de Cock Foundation, the Netherlands; Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Weesp, The Netherlands; Solvay Pharmaceuticals also, unrestrictedly, provided the vaccine.

    • Competing interests AP is employed by Solvay Pharmaceuticals. His contribution to this study and manuscript was unrestricted by Solvay Pharmaceuticals.

    • Ethics approval This study was conducted with the approval of the ethics committee of the University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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