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Gavitt TD, Mara AB, Goodridge ML, Ozyck RG, Reinhardt E, Miller JM, Hunte M, Tulman ER, Frasca Jr S, Silbart LK, Geary SJ, Szczepanek SM. B cells oppose Mycoplasma pneumoniae vaccine enhanced disease and limit bacterial colonization of the lungs. NPJ Vaccines 2022; 7:130. [PMID: 36310317 PMCID: PMC9618410 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-022-00556-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of an effective vaccine for Mycoplasma pneumoniae has been hindered by reports of Vaccine Enhanced Disease (VED) in test subjects vaccinated and challenged in studies conducted in the 1960s. The exact mechanism of disease exacerbation has yet to be fully described, but host immune responses to Lipid-Associated Membrane Proteins (LAMPs) lipoprotein lipid moieties have been implicated. LAMPs-induced exacerbation appears to involve helper T cell recall responses, due in part to their influence on neutrophil recruitment and subsequent inflammatory responses in the lung. Herein, we characterized the functions of host B cell responses to M. pneumoniae LAMPs and delipidated-LAMPs (dLAMPs) by conducting passive transfer and B cell depletion studies to assess their contribution to disease exacerbation or protection using a BALB/c mouse model. We found that antibody responses to M. pneumoniae LAMPs and dLAMPs differ in magnitude, but not in isotype or subclass. Passive transfer, dLAMP denaturation, and monoclonal antibody studies indicate that antibodies do not cause VED, but do appear to contribute to control of bacterial loads in the lungs. Depletion of B cells prior to LAMPs-vaccination results in significantly enhanced pathology in comparison to B cell competent controls, suggesting a possible regulatory role of B cells distinct from antibody secretion. Taken together, our findings suggest that B cell antibody responses to M. pneumoniae contribute to, but are insufficient for protection against challenge on their own, and that other functional properties of B cells are necessary to limit exacerbation of disease in LAMPs-vaccinated mice after infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler D. Gavitt
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,US Animal Vaccinology Research Coordination Network, Storrs, CT 06238 USA
| | - Arlind B. Mara
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,US Animal Vaccinology Research Coordination Network, Storrs, CT 06238 USA
| | - Meagan L. Goodridge
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA
| | - Rosemary Grace Ozyck
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA
| | - Emily Reinhardt
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, Storrs, CT 06238 USA
| | - Jeremy M. Miller
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,US Animal Vaccinology Research Coordination Network, Storrs, CT 06238 USA
| | - Morgan Hunte
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,grid.417555.70000 0000 8814 392XPresent Address: Sanofi, Meriden, CT 06450 USA
| | - Edan R. Tulman
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,US Animal Vaccinology Research Coordination Network, Storrs, CT 06238 USA
| | - Salvatore Frasca Jr
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA
| | - Lawrence K. Silbart
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Allied of Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA
| | - Steven J. Geary
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,US Animal Vaccinology Research Coordination Network, Storrs, CT 06238 USA
| | - Steven M. Szczepanek
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06238 USA ,US Animal Vaccinology Research Coordination Network, Storrs, CT 06238 USA
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Tran KTM, Gavitt TD, Le TT, Graichen A, Lin F, Liu Y, Tulman ER, Szczepanek SM, Nguyen TD. A Single-Administration Microneedle Skin Patch for Multi-Burst Release of Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Adv Mater Technol 2022; 8:2200905. [PMID: 36714215 PMCID: PMC9874724 DOI: 10.1002/admt.202200905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The necessity for multiple injections and cold-chain storage has contributed to suboptimal vaccine utilization, especially in pandemic situations. Thermally-stable and single-administration vaccines hold a great potential to revolutionize the global immunization process. Here, a new approach to thermally stabilize protein-based antigens is presented and a new high-throughput antigen-loading process is devised to create a single-administration, pulsatile-release microneedle (MN) patch which can deliver a recombinant SARS-CoV-2 S1-RBD protein-a model for the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 100% of the protein antigen could be stabilized at temperatures up to 100 °C for at least 1 h and at an average human body temperature (37 °C) for up to 4 months. Arrays of the stabilized S1-RBD formulations can be loaded into the MN shells via a single-alignment assembly step. The fabricated MNs are administered at a single time into the skin of rats and induce antibody response which could neutralize authentic SARS-CoV-2 viruses, providing similar immunogenic effect to that induced by multiple bolus injections of the same antigen stored in conventional cold-chain conditions. The MN system presented herein could offer the key solution to global immunization campaigns by avoiding low patient compliance, the requirement for cold-chain storage, and the need for multiple booster injections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khanh T. M. Tran
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Connecticut181 Auditorium RoadStorrs06269USA
| | - Tyler D. Gavitt
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary ScienceCenter of Excellence for Vaccine ResearchUniversity of Connecticut61 North Eagleville RoadStorrs06269USA
| | - Thinh T. Le
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Connecticut191 Auditorium RoadStorrs06269USA
| | - Adam Graichen
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Connecticut55 North Eagleville RoadStorrs06269USA
| | - Feng Lin
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Connecticut191 Auditorium RoadStorrs06269USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Connecticut191 Auditorium RoadStorrs06269USA
| | - Edan R. Tulman
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary ScienceCenter of Excellence for Vaccine ResearchUniversity of Connecticut61 North Eagleville RoadStorrs06269USA
| | - Steven M. Szczepanek
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary ScienceCenter of Excellence for Vaccine ResearchUniversity of Connecticut61 North Eagleville RoadStorrs06269USA
| | - Thanh D. Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Connecticut181 Auditorium RoadStorrs06269USA
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Connecticut191 Auditorium RoadStorrs06269USA
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Gavitt TD, Hartmann AK, Sawant SS, Mara AB, Szczepanek SM, Rouge JL. A GATA3 Targeting Nucleic Acid Nanocapsule for In Vivo Gene Regulation in Asthma. ACS Nano 2021; 15:11192-11201. [PMID: 34157834 PMCID: PMC9200080 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c07781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Allergic asthma is one of the leading chronic lung diseases of both children and adults worldwide, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality in affected individuals. Many patients have severe asthma, which is refractory to treatment, illustrating the need for the development of new therapeutics for this disease. Herein, we describe the use of a peptide cross-linked nucleic acid nanocapsule (NAN) for the delivery of a GATA3-specific DNAzyme to immune cells, with demonstration of modulated transcriptional activity and behavior of those cells. The NAN, built from peptide cross-linked surfactants, is chemically designed to degrade under inflammation conditions releasing individual DNAzyme-surfactant conjugates in response to proteolytic enzymes. Using the NAN, GATA3 DNAzymes were delivered efficiently to human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, with clear evidence of uptake by CD4+ helper T cells without the need for harsh transfection agents. Knockdown of GATA3 was achieved in vitro using human Jurkat T cells, which express GATA3 under homeostatic conditions. Additionally, mice treated with DNAzyme-NANs during house dust mite (HDM)-induced asthma developed less severe allergic lung inflammation than HDM-only control mice, as measured by pulmonary eosinophilia. This study suggests that peptide cross-linked GATA3 DNAzyme-NANs may have the potential to decrease the severity of asthma symptoms in human patients, and development of this technology for human use warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler D Gavitt
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Alyssa K Hartmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Shraddha S Sawant
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Arlind B Mara
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Steven M Szczepanek
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Jessica L Rouge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
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Mara AB, Gavitt TD, Tulman ER, Geary SJ, Szczepanek SM. Lipid moieties of Mycoplasma pneumoniae lipoproteins are the causative factor of vaccine-enhanced disease. NPJ Vaccines 2020; 5:31. [PMID: 32284882 PMCID: PMC7142147 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-020-0181-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccine-enhanced disease (VED) occurs as a result of vaccination followed by infection with virulent Mycoplasma pneumoniae. To date VED has prevented development of an efficacious vaccine against this significant human respiratory pathogen. Herein we report that vaccination of BALB/c mice with M. pneumoniae lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) induces lung lesions consistent with exacerbated disease following challenge, without reducing bacterial loads. Removal of lipid moieties from LAMPs prior to vaccination eliminates VED and reduces bacterial loads after infection. Collectively, these data indicate that lipid moieties of lipoproteins are the causative factors of M. pneumoniae VED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlind B Mara
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science and the Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3089, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
| | - Tyler D Gavitt
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science and the Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3089, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
| | - Edan R Tulman
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science and the Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3089, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
| | - Steven J Geary
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science and the Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3089, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
| | - Steven M Szczepanek
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science and the Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3089, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
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5
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Fernandez-Sainz I, Gavitt TD, Koster M, Ramirez-Medina E, Rodriguez YY, Wu P, Silbart LK, de Los Santos T, Szczepanek SM. The VP1 G-H loop hypervariable epitope contributes to protective immunity against Foot and Mouth Disease Virus in swine. Vaccine 2019; 37:3435-3442. [PMID: 31085001 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Foot and Mouth Disease is a highly contagious and economically important disease of livestock. While vaccination is often effective at controlling viral spread, failures can occur due to strain mismatch or viral mutation. Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) possesses a hypervariable region within the G-H Loop of VP1, a capsid protein commonly associated with virus neutralization. Here, we investigate the effect of replacement of the G-H loop hypervariable epitope with a xenoepitope from PRRS virus on the immunogenicity and efficacy of an adenovirus vectored FMDV vaccine (Ad5-FMD). Pigs were vaccinated with Ad5-FMD, the modified Ad5-FMDxeno, or PBS, followed by intradermal challenge with FDMV strain O1 Manisa at 21 days post-vaccination. While overall serum antibody titers were significantly higher in Ad5-FMDxeno vaccinated animals, neutralizing antibody titers were decreased in pigs that received Ad5-FMDxeno, when compared to those vaccinated with Ad5-FMD, prior to viral challenge, indicative of immune redirection away from VP1 towards non-neutralizing epitopes. As expected, animals vaccinated with unmodified Ad5-FMD were protected from lesions, fever, and viremia. In contrast, animals vaccinated with Ad5-FMDxeno developed clinical signs and viremia, but at lower levels than that observed in PBS-treated controls. No significant difference was found in nasal shedding of virions between the two Ad5-FMD vaccinated groups. This data suggests that the hypervariable epitope of the VP1 G-H loop contributes to protective immunity conferred by Ad5 vector-delivered FMD vaccines in swine, and cannot be substituted without a loss of immunogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Fernandez-Sainz
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Services, North East Area, U.S Department of Agriculture, Orient, NY, USA; Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Tyler D Gavitt
- Centers of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Marla Koster
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Services, North East Area, U.S Department of Agriculture, Orient, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ramirez-Medina
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, PIADC Research Participation Program, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Yelitza Y Rodriguez
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Services, North East Area, U.S Department of Agriculture, Orient, NY, USA; Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, North East Area, U.S Department of Agriculture, Orient, NY, USA; Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Veterinary Services Laboratory, North East Area, U.S Department of Agriculture, Orient, NY, USA
| | - Ping Wu
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Services, North East Area, U.S Department of Agriculture, Orient, NY, USA; Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, North East Area, U.S Department of Agriculture, Orient, NY, USA; Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Veterinary Services Laboratory, North East Area, U.S Department of Agriculture, Orient, NY, USA
| | - Lawrence K Silbart
- Centers of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Teresa de Los Santos
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Services, North East Area, U.S Department of Agriculture, Orient, NY, USA
| | - Steven M Szczepanek
- Centers of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
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Jiang C, Gavitt TD, Szczepanek SM. House Dust Mite-Induced Allergic Lung Inflammation Is Not Exacerbated in Sickle Cell Disease Mice. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2019; 179:192-200. [PMID: 30999298 DOI: 10.1159/000499043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Asthma appears to be a common comorbid condition in children with sickle cell disease (SCD), and such individuals may be at a higher risk for increased morbidity and mortality. However, several reports have indicated that asthma severity is not particularly high in those with SCD, and airway hyperreactivity and wheeze may be independently associated with SCD. In SCD mice, exacerbated allergic airway disease (AAD) has been observed in response to the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA). We sought to determine if allergic lung inflammation is also exacerbated in SCD mice when they are exposed to the human allergen, house dust mite (HDM). METHODS AND RESULTS Eosinophil counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were determined by cytocentrifugation and increased in both wild-type (WT) and SCD mice after acute exposure to a high dose (25 µg) of HDM, which then decreased in chronically exposed mice. WT mice exposed to a low dose of HDM (1 µg) followed the same pattern of eosinophil flux, but SCD mice did not induce much eosinophilia after acute exposure to HDM. As was observed in previous studies, lung lesions similarly increased in severity in both WT and SCD mice after acute exposure to HDM, which remained elevated after chronic exposure. Furthermore, serum HDM-specific IgE titers similarly increased and selected serum cytokines were similar in both WT and SCD mice. CONCLUSION These results contrast with previous reports of exacerbated AAD in SCD mice exposed to OVA and support the alternative hypothesis that asthmatic responses are normal in those with SCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Jiang
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Tyler D Gavitt
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Steven M Szczepanek
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA,
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Roberts S, Metzger DW, Szczepanek SM. Influenza Vaccination Protects Against Pandemic H1N1 Infection in Sickle Cell Disease Mice. Viral Immunol 2018; 31:470-471. [PMID: 29688839 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2018.0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza infection is associated with enhanced pathology in individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). Despite being a high priority group for annual influenza vaccination, little is known about long-term responses to influenza vaccination in this patient population. To model flu vaccination, we inoculated SCD and wild type (WT) littermate mice with the seasonal flu vaccine [containing pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) antigen], bled the mice before and after vaccination, and intranasally challenged them with a high dose (400 PFU) of pH1N1 12 weeks later. Both WT and SCD mice were fully protected from infection, and anti-influenza immunoglobulin G titers were significantly elevated in both groups after vaccination. It appears that flu vaccination is effective in SCD mice and our data support the clinical practice of regular flu vaccination in SCD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Roberts
- 1 Department of Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College , Albany, New York
| | - Dennis W Metzger
- 1 Department of Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College , Albany, New York
| | - Steven M Szczepanek
- 2 Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut , Storrs, Connecticut
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Cotte C, Szczepanek SM. Peritoneal B-1b and B-2 B-cells confer long-term protection from pneumococcal serotype 3 infection after vaccination with Prevnar-13 and are defective in sickle cell disease mice. Vaccine 2017; 35:3520-3522. [PMID: 28545925 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Revised: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Long-term immunity after inoculation with the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar-13) is impaired in sickle cell disease (SCD) mice. We sought to determine which B-cell subsets are defective in SCD mice after vaccination with Prevnar-13, yet confer long-term immunity in wild-type (WT) mice. We vaccinated WT and SCD mice three times at three week intervals with Prevnar-13. Fourteen weeks later, 5∗104 cells of isolated peritoneal B-1a, B-1b, and B-2 cells were harvested and intraperitoneally transferred to Rag -/- recipients. A week later recipients were intraperitoneally challenged with 103CFU of Streptococcus pneumoniae (serotype 3). Recipient mice that received either B-1b or B-2 B-cells from WT mice survived challenge, whereas mice that received B-1a cells died. Recipient mice that received B-1a, B-1b, or B-2 cells from SCD mice died after challenge. Both B-1b and B-2 cells appear to confer long-term immunity after Prevnar-13 vaccination, yet neither subset functions properly in SCD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Cotte
- Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, United States
| | - Steven M Szczepanek
- Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, United States.
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Szczepanek SM, Roberts S, Rogers K, Cotte C, Adami AJ, Bracken SJ, Salmon S, Secor ER, Thrall RS, Andemariam B, Metzger DW. Poor Long-Term Efficacy of Prevnar-13 in Sickle Cell Disease Mice Is Associated with an Inability to Sustain Pneumococcal-Specific Antibody Titers. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0149261. [PMID: 26910228 PMCID: PMC4766082 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) is infection with the pneumococcal bacterium (Streptococcus pneumoniae). Unfortunately, the polysaccharide-conjugate vaccine appears to be less effective in individuals with SCD when compared to the general population. We sought to better understand the relative efficacy of pneumococcal vaccination in a SCD mouse challenge model. METHODS Transgenic control and SCD mice were monitored for mortality after intranasal pneumococcal infection or pneumococcal vaccination with Prevnar-13 and type-matched challenge. Anti-pneumococcal antibody titers were measured by ELISA and opsonophagocytosis was measured in vitro. RESULTS Mortality after pneumococcal infection was similar between control and SCD mice. However, after three intramuscular polysaccharide-conjugate vaccinations, all control mice were protected following high-dose intranasal infection, whereas 60% of SCD mice died. Anti-pneumococcal antibody titers showed initial IgG and IgM responses in both groups, but waning titers were observed in the SCD group, even after boosting. When functionally assayed in vitro, serum from SCD mice 13 weeks after a second booster shot maintained little to no ability to opsonize pneumococci, while serum from control mice sustained a significantly higher capacity opsonization. Thus, it appears that SCD mice do not maintain antibody responses to pneumococcal polysaccharides after Prevnar-13 vaccination, thereby leaving them susceptible to mortality after type-matched infection. CONCLUSION Our results emphasize the need to better understand the correlates of immune protection in SCD so that pneumococcal vaccines can be improved and mortality reduced in this susceptible population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M. Szczepanek
- Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States of America, 06269
- * E-mail:
| | - Sean Roberts
- Center for Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States of America, 12208
| | - Kara Rogers
- Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States of America, 06269
| | - Christina Cotte
- Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States of America, 06269
| | - Alexander J. Adami
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States of America, 06030
| | - Sonali J. Bracken
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States of America, 06030
| | - Sharon Salmon
- Center for Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States of America, 12208
| | - Eric R. Secor
- Helen and Harry Gray Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, Division of Integrative Medicine, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, United States of America, 06106
| | - Roger S. Thrall
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States of America, 06030
| | - Biree Andemariam
- The Lea’s Foundation Center for Hematological Disorders, Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States of America, 06030
| | - Dennis W. Metzger
- Center for Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States of America, 12208
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Bracken SJ, Adami AJ, Szczepanek SM, Ehsan M, Natarajan P, Guernsey LA, Shahriari N, Rafti E, Matson AP, Schramm CM, Thrall RS. Long-Term Exposure to House Dust Mite Leads to the Suppression of Allergic Airway Disease Despite Persistent Lung Inflammation. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2015; 166:243-58. [PMID: 25924733 DOI: 10.1159/000381058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Allergic asthma is a major cause of worldwide morbidity and results from inadequate immune regulation in response to innocuous, environmental antigens. The need exists to understand the mechanisms that promote nonreactivity to human-relevant allergens such as house dust mite (HDM) in order to develop curative therapies for asthma. The aim of our study was to compare the effects of short-, intermediate- and long-term HDM administration in a murine asthma model and determine the ability of long-term HDM exposure to suppress allergic inflammation. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were intranasally instilled with HDM for short-term (2 weeks), intermediate-term (5 weeks) and long-term (11 weeks) periods to induce allergic airway disease (AAD). The severity of AAD was compared across all stages of the model via both immunological and pulmonary parameters. RESULTS Short- and intermediate-term HDM exposure stimulated the development of AAD that included eosinophilia in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), pronounced airway hyperreactivity (AHR) and evidence of lung inflammation. Long-term HDM exposure promoted the suppression of AAD, with a loss of BALF eosinophilia and AHR despite persistent mononuclear inflammation in the lungs. Suppression of AAD with long-term HDM exposure was associated with an increase in both Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and IL-10-positive alveolar macrophages at the site of inflammation. CONCLUSIONS This model recapitulates the key features of human asthma and may facilitate investigation into the mechanisms that promote immunological tolerance against clinically relevant aeroallergens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonali J Bracken
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Conn., USA
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11
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Szczepanek SM, McNamara JT, Secor ER, Natarajan P, Guernsey LA, Miller LA, Ballesteros E, Jellison E, Thrall RS, Andemariam B. Splenic morphological changes are accompanied by altered baseline immunity in a mouse model of sickle-cell disease. Am J Pathol 2012; 181:1725-34. [PMID: 23000264 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2012.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2012] [Revised: 05/30/2012] [Accepted: 07/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Although functional asplenia from infarctions may be a major contributor to increased infectious mortality in sickle-cell disease (SCD), this relationship has not been fully defined. We used the transgenic Berkeley SCD mouse to define blood and splenic immunophenotypic differences in this model compared with C57BL/6 and hemizygous controls. In the serum of SCD mice, we found increased IgG2a and suppressed IgM, IgG2b, and IgA levels. Serum IL-6 levels in SCD mice were elevated, whereas IL-1α, CXCL10, and CCL5 levels were decreased. The blood of SCD mice had higher white blood cell counts, with an increased percentage of lymphocytes and decreases in other leukocytes. Immunophenotyping of lymphocytes revealed higher percentages of CD8(+) and T-regulatory cells and lower percentages of B cells. SCD mouse spleens exhibited histological disorganization, with reduction of defined lymphoid follicles and expansion of red pulp, a greater than fourfold increase in splenic mononuclear cells, marked expansion of the nucleated red blood cell fraction, and B-cell and CD8(+) T-cell lymphopenia. Within the splenic B-cell population, there was a significant decrease in B-1a B cells, with a corresponding decrease in IgA secreting plasma cells in the gut. Confocal microscopy of spleens demonstrated complete disruption of the normal lymphofollicular structure in the white pulp of SCD mice without distinct B, T, and marginal zones. Our findings suggest that altered SCD splenic morphological characteristics result in an impaired systemic immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Szczepanek
- Adult Sickle Cell Clinical and Research Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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12
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Tulman ER, Liao X, Szczepanek SM, Ley DH, Kutish GF, Geary SJ. Extensive variation in surface lipoprotein gene content and genomic changes associated with virulence during evolution of a novel North American house finch epizootic strain of Mycoplasma gallisepticum. Microbiology (Reading) 2012; 158:2073-2088. [PMID: 22628486 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.058560-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Mycoplasma gallisepticum, a significant respiratory and reproductive pathogen of domestic poultry, has since 1994 been recognized as an emergent pathogen of the American house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus). Epizootic spread and pathognomonic characteristics of house finch-associated Mycoplasma gallisepticum (HFMG) have been studied as a model of an emergent to endemic pathogen in a novel host. Here we present comparative analysis of eight HFMG genomes, including one from an index isolate and seven isolates separated spatially and temporally (1994-2008) across the epizootic, and notably having differences in virulence. HFMG represented a monophyletic clade relative to sequenced poultry isolates, with genomic changes indicating a novel M. gallisepticum lineage and including unique deletions of coding sequence. Though most of the HFMG genome was highly conserved among isolates, genetic distances correlated with temporal-spatial distance from the index. The most dramatic genomic differences among HFMG involved phase-variable and immunodominant VlhA lipoprotein genes, including those variable in presence and genomic location. Other genomic differences included tandem copy number variation of a 5 kbp repeat, changes in and adjacent to the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, and small-scale changes affecting coding potential and association of genes with virulence. Divergence of monophyletic isolates from similar time/space in the epizootic indicated local diversification of distinct HFMG sublineages. Overall, these data identify candidate virulence genes and reveal the importance of phase-variable lipoproteins during the evolution of M. gallisepticum during its emergence and dissemination in a novel host in nature, likely mediating an important role at the interface between pathogen virulence and host immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R Tulman
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science and Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - X Liao
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science and Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - S M Szczepanek
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science and Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - D H Ley
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - G F Kutish
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science and Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - S J Geary
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science and Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
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13
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May M, Szczepanek SM, Frasca S, Gates AE, Demcovitz DL, Moneypenny CG, Brown DR, Geary SJ. Effects of sialidase knockout and complementation on virulence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum. Vet Microbiol 2011; 157:91-5. [PMID: 22197303 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2011] [Revised: 12/01/2011] [Accepted: 12/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Reannotation of the pathogenic Mycoplasma gallisepticum strain R(low) genome identified the hypothetical gene MGA_0329 as a homolog of the sialidase gene MS53_0199 of Mycoplasma synoviae strain MS53. Potent sialidase activity was subsequently quantitated in several M. gallisepticum strains. Because sialidase activity levels correlate significantly with differing M. synoviae strain virulence, we hypothesized this enzyme may also influence the virulence of M. gallisepticum. MGA_0329 was disrupted in strain R(low) to create mutants 6, 358 and P1C5, which resulted in the loss of sialidase activity in all three mutants. Chickens infected with the knockout mutants had significantly less severe (P<0.05) tracheal lesions and tracheal mucosal thickening than chickens infected with equal doses of strain R(low). Significantly fewer (P<0.05) CCU especially of strains 6 and P1C5 were recovered at necropsy. Mini-Tn4001tet plasmid pTF20 carrying a wild-type copy of MGA_0329 with its native promoter was used to complement the genetic lesion in strain P1C5. Three clones derived from P1C5, each having one copy of MGA_0329 stably transposed into a different site in its genome, expressed sialidase restored to wild-type activity levels (1.58×10(-8)U/CFU). Complementation of P1C5 with MGA_0329 did not restore it to wild-type levels of virulence, indicating that the contribution of sialidase to M. gallisepticum virulence is not straightforward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan May
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, USA.
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