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Front Immunol. 2019 Feb 27;10:180. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00180. eCollection 2019.
Sex Differences in Older Adults' Immune Responses to Seasonal Influenza Vaccination.
Voigt EA1, Ovsyannikova IG1, Kennedy RB1, Grill DE2, Goergen KM2, Schaid DJ2, Poland GA1.
Author information
Abstract
Background: Sex differences in immune responses to influenza vaccine may impact efficacy across populations. Methods: In a cohort of 138 older adults (50-74 years old), we measured influenza A/H1N1 antibody titers, B-cell ELISPOT response, PBMC transcriptomics, and PBMC cell compositions at 0, 3, and 28 days post-immunization with the 2010/11 seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine. Results: We identified higher B-cell ELISPOT responses in females than males. Potential mechanisms for sex effects were identified in four gene clusters related to T, NK, and B cells. Mediation analysis indicated that sex-dependent expression in T and NK cell genes can be partially attributed to higher CD4+ T cell and lower NK cell fractions in females. We identified strong sex effects in 135 B cell genes whose expression correlates with ELISPOT measures, and found that cell subset differences did not explain the effect of sex on these genes' expression. Post-vaccination expression of these genes, however, mediated 41% of the sex effect on ELISPOT responses. Conclusions: These results improve our understanding of sexual dimorphism in immunity and influenza vaccine response.
KEYWORDS:
elderly; immunity; influenza; influenza vaccine; sex differences; sexual dimorphism; systems biology; vaccinomics
PMID: 30873150 PMCID: PMC6400991 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00180
Sex Differences in Older Adults' Immune Responses to Seasonal Influenza Vaccination.
Voigt EA1, Ovsyannikova IG1, Kennedy RB1, Grill DE2, Goergen KM2, Schaid DJ2, Poland GA1.
Author information
Abstract
Background: Sex differences in immune responses to influenza vaccine may impact efficacy across populations. Methods: In a cohort of 138 older adults (50-74 years old), we measured influenza A/H1N1 antibody titers, B-cell ELISPOT response, PBMC transcriptomics, and PBMC cell compositions at 0, 3, and 28 days post-immunization with the 2010/11 seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine. Results: We identified higher B-cell ELISPOT responses in females than males. Potential mechanisms for sex effects were identified in four gene clusters related to T, NK, and B cells. Mediation analysis indicated that sex-dependent expression in T and NK cell genes can be partially attributed to higher CD4+ T cell and lower NK cell fractions in females. We identified strong sex effects in 135 B cell genes whose expression correlates with ELISPOT measures, and found that cell subset differences did not explain the effect of sex on these genes' expression. Post-vaccination expression of these genes, however, mediated 41% of the sex effect on ELISPOT responses. Conclusions: These results improve our understanding of sexual dimorphism in immunity and influenza vaccine response.
KEYWORDS:
elderly; immunity; influenza; influenza vaccine; sex differences; sexual dimorphism; systems biology; vaccinomics
PMID: 30873150 PMCID: PMC6400991 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00180