Protection against Pertussis in Humans Correlates to Elevated Serum Antibodies and Memory B Cells.

ABSTRACT: Pertussis is a respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis that may be particularly severe and even lethal in the first months of life when infants are still too young to be vaccinated. Adults and adolescents experience mild symptoms and are the source of infection for neonates. Adoptive maternal immunity does not prevent pertussis in the neonate. We compared the specific immune response of mothers of neonates diagnosed with pertussis and mothers of control children. We show that women have pre-existing pertussis-specific antibodies and memory B cells and react against the infection with a recall response increasing the levels specific serum IgG, milk IgA, and the frequency of memory B cells of all isotypes. Thus, the maternal immune system is activated in response to pertu

SUBMITTER: Marcellini V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5605623 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature