Publication
Title
T cells, more than antibodies, may prevent symptoms developing from respiratory syncytial virus infections in older adults
Author
Institution/Organisation
RESCEU Investigators
Abstract
IntroductionThe immune mechanisms supporting partial protection from reinfection and disease by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have not been fully characterized. In older adults, symptoms are typically mild but can be serious in patients with comorbidities when the infection extends to the lower respiratory tract.MethodsThis study formed part of the RESCEU older-adults prospective-cohort study in Northern Europe (2017-2019; NCT03621930) in which a thousand participants were followed over an RSV season. Peripheral-blood samples (taken pre-season, post-season, during illness and convalescence) were analyzed from participants who (i) had a symptomatic acute respiratory tract infection by RSV (RSV-ARTI; N=35) or (ii) asymptomatic RSV infection (RSV-Asymptomatic; N=16). These analyses included evaluations of antibody (Fc-mediated-) functional features and cell-mediated immunity, in which univariate and machine-learning (ML) models were used to explore differences between groups.ResultsPre-RSV-season peripheral-blood biomarkers were predictive of symptomatic RSV infection. T-cell data were more predictive than functional antibody data (area under receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC] for the models were 99% and 76%, respectively). The pre-RSV season T-cell phenotypes which were selected by the ML modelling and which were more frequent in RSV-Asymptomatic group than in the RSV-ARTI group, coincided with prominent phenotypes identified during convalescence from RSV-ARTI (e.g., IFN-gamma+, TNF-alpha+ and CD40L+ for CD4+, and IFN-gamma+ and 4-1BB+ for CD8+).ConclusionThe evaluation and statistical modelling of numerous immunological parameters over the RSV season suggests a primary role of cellular immunity in preventing symptomatic RSV infections in older adults.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Frontiers in immunology. - Place of publication unknown
Publication
Place of publication unknown : 2023
ISSN
1664-3224
DOI
10.3389/FIMMU.2023.1260146
Volume/pages
14 (2023) , p. 1-11
Article Reference
1260146
ISI
001094840400001
Pubmed ID
37936699
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Consortium in Europe (RESCEU).
Respiratory Syncytial virus consortiem in Europe (RESCEU).
Preparing for RSV Immunisation and Surveillance in Europe (PROMISE).
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 04.12.2023
Last edited 25.04.2024
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