TY - JOUR
T1 - Preserved antibody levels and loss of memory B cells against pneumococcus and tetanus after splenectomy
T2 - Tailoring better vaccination strategies
AU - Rosado, M. Manuela
AU - Gesualdo, Francesco
AU - Marcellini, Valentina
AU - Di Sabatino, Antonio
AU - Corazza, Gino Roberto
AU - Smacchia, Maria Paola
AU - Nobili, Bruno
AU - Baronci, Carlo
AU - Russo, Lidia
AU - Rossi, Francesca
AU - Vito, Rita De
AU - Nicolosi, Luciana
AU - Inserra, Alessandro
AU - Locatelli, Franco
AU - Tozzi, Alberto E.
AU - Carsetti, Rita
PY - 2013/10
Y1 - 2013/10
N2 - Splenectomized patients are exposed to an increased risk of septicemia caused by encapsulated bacteria. Defense against infection is ensured by preformed serum antibodies produced by long-lived plasma cells and by memory B cells that secrete immunoglobulin in response to specific antigenic stimuli. Studying a group of asplenic individuals (57 adults and 21 children) without additional immunologic defects, we found that spleen removal does not alter serum anti-pneumococcal polysaccharide (PnPS) IgG concentration, but reduces the number of PnPS-specific memory B cells, of both IgM and IgG isotypes. The number of specific memory B cells was low in splenectomized adults and children that had received the PnPS vaccine either before or after splenectomy. Seven children were given the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine after splenectomy. In this group, the number of PnPS-specific IgG memory B cells was similar to that of eusplenic children, suggesting that pneumococcal conjugated vaccine administered after splenectomy is able to restore the pool of anti-PnPS IgG memory B cells. Our data further elucidate the crucial role of the spleen in the immunological response to infections caused by encapsulated bacteria and suggest that glycoconjugated vaccines may be the most suitable choice to generate IgG-mediated protection in these patients.
AB - Splenectomized patients are exposed to an increased risk of septicemia caused by encapsulated bacteria. Defense against infection is ensured by preformed serum antibodies produced by long-lived plasma cells and by memory B cells that secrete immunoglobulin in response to specific antigenic stimuli. Studying a group of asplenic individuals (57 adults and 21 children) without additional immunologic defects, we found that spleen removal does not alter serum anti-pneumococcal polysaccharide (PnPS) IgG concentration, but reduces the number of PnPS-specific memory B cells, of both IgM and IgG isotypes. The number of specific memory B cells was low in splenectomized adults and children that had received the PnPS vaccine either before or after splenectomy. Seven children were given the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine after splenectomy. In this group, the number of PnPS-specific IgG memory B cells was similar to that of eusplenic children, suggesting that pneumococcal conjugated vaccine administered after splenectomy is able to restore the pool of anti-PnPS IgG memory B cells. Our data further elucidate the crucial role of the spleen in the immunological response to infections caused by encapsulated bacteria and suggest that glycoconjugated vaccines may be the most suitable choice to generate IgG-mediated protection in these patients.
KW - Asplenia
KW - Memory B cells
KW - Serum anti-PnPS
KW - Splenectomy
KW - Streptococcus pneumoniae
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U2 - 10.1002/eji.201343577
DO - 10.1002/eji.201343577
M3 - Article
C2 - 23813052
AN - SCOPUS:84885733691
VL - 43
SP - 2659
EP - 2670
JO - European Journal of Immunology
JF - European Journal of Immunology
SN - 0014-2980
IS - 10
ER -