Vaccine efficacy and T helper cell differentiation change with aging.

ABSTRACT: Influenza and pneumonia are leading causes of death in elderly populations. With age, there is an increased inflammatory response and slower viral clearance during influenza infection which increases the risk of extended illness and mortality. Here we employ a preclinical murine model of influenza infection to examine the protective capacity of vaccination with influenza nucleoprotein (NP). While NP vaccination reduces influenza-induced lung inflammation in young mice, aged mice do not show this reduction, but are protected from influenza-induced mortality. Aged mice do make a significant amount of NP-specific IgG and adoptive transfer experiments show that NP antibody can protect from death but cannot reduce lung inflammation. Furthermore, young but not aged vaccinated mice generate signi

SUBMITTER: Lefebvre JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5085104 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature