Anti-protein immunoglobulin M responses to pneumococcus are not associated with aging.



German, Esther L, Al-Hakim, Bahij, Mitsi, Elena, Pennington, Shaun H, Gritzfeld, Jenna F, Hyder-Wright, Angie D, Banyard, Antonia, Gordon, Stephen B, Collins, Andrea M and Ferreira, Daniela M
(2018) Anti-protein immunoglobulin M responses to pneumococcus are not associated with aging. Pneumonia (Nathan Qld.), 10 (1). p. 5.

Access the full-text of this item by clicking on the Open Access link.

Abstract

The incidence of community-acquired pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infection rises considerably in later life. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody levels to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide are known to decrease with age; however, whether levels of IgM antibody to pneumococcal proteins are subject to the same decline has not yet been investigated.This study measured serum levels and binding capacity of IgM antibody specific to the pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) and an unencapsulated pneumococcal strain in serum isolated from hospital patients aged < 60 and ≥ 60, with and without lower respiratory tract infection. A group of young healthy volunteers was used as a comparator to represent adults at very low risk of pneumococcal pneumonia. IgM serum antibody levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry was performed to assess IgM binding capacity. Linear regression and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to analyse the results.Levels and binding capacity of IgM antibody to PspA and the unencapsulated pneumococcal strain were unchanged with age.These findings suggest that protein-based pneumococcal vaccines may provide protective immunity in the elderly.The LRTI trial (LRTI and control groups) was approved by the National Health Service Research Ethics Committee in October 2013 (12/NW/0713). Recruitment opened in January 2013 and was completed in July 2013. Healthy volunteer samples were taken from the EHPC dose-ranging and reproducibility trial, approved by the same Research Ethics Committee in October 2011 (11/NW/0592). Recruitment for this study ran from October 2011 until December 2012. LRTI trial: (NCT01861184), EHPC dose-ranging and reproducibility trial: (ISRCTN85403723).

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: IgM antibodies, Pneumococcus, Vaccines, Immune senescence, Proteins
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 17 Jan 2019 08:26
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2023 01:06
DOI: 10.1186/s41479-018-0048-3
Open Access URL: https://pneumonia.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11...
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3031323