scholarly journals STUDIES IN HUMAN IMMUNIZATION AGAINST INFLUENZA

1944 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. K. Hirst ◽  
E. R. Rickard ◽  
W. F. Friedewald

The administration to human beings of formalin-killed influenza virus, concentrated from allantoic fluid, resulted in a high order of antibody response within 2 weeks after injection. Even after 1 year the great majority of individuals vaccinated had antibody levels considerably above their prevaccination titer for the PR8, Lee, and a current 1943 strain. An investigation of the occurrence of epidemic influenza A in seven widely separated populations, 1 year after vaccination of part of these groups, showed that the attack rate among vaccinated persons was consistently lower than that of control individuals. The average reduction in attack rate was of the order of 35 per cent.

1942 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 495-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. K. Hirst ◽  
E. R. Rickard ◽  
Loring Whitman ◽  
F. L. Horsfall

Eleven different preparations of influenza virus were used to vaccinate large groups of human beings. The antibody response to these vaccines was measured by means of the in vitro agglutination inhibition test, and the geometric mean titers of sera taken 2 weeks after vaccination were compared. From these comparisons the following conclusions were drawn: 1. There was a wide individual variation in the antibody response of human beings to the same preparation of influenza virus administrated subcutaneously. The amount of antibody produced by a group with a low prevaccination antibody level was very nearly the same as the amount produced by groups that had higher initial levels. 2. The use of the X strain of distemper virus in the preparation of an influenza vaccine did not enhance the antigenicity of the influenza virus present. 3. Within certain limits the mean antibody response of human beings increased as the amount of virus injected was increased. When large amounts of influenza A virus were given, the antibody response was of the same order of magnitude as that which occurred following actual infection by this virus. 4. When the vaccine was prepared from allantoic fluid, there was no significant difference in the antibody response of human beings given active virus, formalin-inactivated virus, heat-inactivated virus, or virus inactivated by the drying process. 5. Ground infected chick embryos, when diluted with infected allantoic fluid, gave a greater antibody response than allantoic fluid alone (when the virus remained active). The antigenicity of such a preparation was diminished when the virus was inactivated by formalin. 6. Antibody levels 6 and 9 weeks after vaccination showed a marked drop from the 2-week postvaccination levels. In a small group the antibody levels at 5 months were still further reduced. Those individuals who possessed the higher titers tended to lose their antibodies faster than did those at a lower level.


1948 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 463-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul H. Hardy ◽  
Frank L. Horsfall

Evidence is presented which shows that there is a component present in normal allantoic fluid, probably mucoprotein in nature, capable of combining with influenza A virus (PR8), and that following combination between this component and the virus only partial dissociation of the complex occurs. Evidence is also presented which strongly suggests that the component is present in virus-infected allantoic fluid in which it is in part combined with the virus and in part free although altered by viral action. The probability that the component is present as well in highly purified preparations of influenza virus, and its effect upon various reactions obtained with this agent are discussed.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0254421
Author(s):  
Rodrigo B. Abreu ◽  
Greg A. Kirchenbaum ◽  
Giuseppe A. Sautto ◽  
Emily F. Clutter ◽  
Ted M. Ross

Influenza is a highly contagious viral respiratory disease that affects million of people worldwide each year. Annual vaccination is recommended by the World Health Organization with the goal of reducing influenza severity and limiting transmission through elicitation of antibodies targeting the hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein. The antibody response elicited by current seasonal influenza virus vaccines is predominantly strain-specific, but pre-existing influenza virus immunity can greatly impact the serological antibody response to vaccination. However, it remains unclear how B cell memory is shaped by recurrent annual vaccination over the course of multiple seasons, especially in high-risk elderly populations. Here, we systematically profiled the B cell response in young adult (18–34 year old) and elderly (65+ year old) vaccine recipients that received annual split inactivated influenza virus vaccination for 3 consecutive seasons. Specifically, the antibody serological and memory B-cell compartments were profiled for reactivity against current and historical influenza A virus strains. Moreover, multiparametric analysis and antibody landscape profiling revealed a transient increase in strain-specific antibodies in the elderly, but with an impaired recall response of pre-existing memory B-cells, plasmablast (PB) differentiation and long-lasting serological changes. This study thoroughly profiles and compares the immune response to recurrent influenza virus vaccination in young and elderly participants unveiling the pitfalls of current influenza virus vaccines in high-risk populations.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1949 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-213
Author(s):  
RAE V. NICHOLAS ◽  
WERNER HENLE

A single dose of 0.5 ml. of commercially available influenzal virus vaccine injected into children from seven weeks to three years of age produced antibodies in about 70%. Resulting antibody levels in the children, most of whom were born after the last widespread epidemics of influenza A and B, were distinctly lower than those observed in older individuals who, in all likelihood, had experienced previous contacts with influenzal antigens. Two injections at a week's interval failed to result in a better antibody response in these children in agreement with the experience gained in adults. Increase in the dose of vaccine appears unwarranted now, since the incidence of febrile reactions—all of short duration—exceeded 40%. This inferior antibody response may be the result of several factors: (a) the smaller dose of vaccine which can be safely administered to such children; (b) the possible inferior immune response of the younger individual; and (c) the absence of a basic immunity to the antigens present in most older individuals as a result of previous contacts with influenzal viruses. Although it is impossible to decide among these factors, the booster effect of restimulation with small doses of antigen is a well known phenomenon in protective measures against other infectious agents. It is felt that such a mechanism may well be the explanation for the discrepancies between young children and older individuals in their response to vaccination against influenza.


1979 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. Terzin ◽  
S. Djurišić ◽  
B. Vuković ◽  
V. Vujkov

SUMMARYSera of 197 apparently well persons were tested for residual haemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies against live Hong Kong/68, A/FM/47 and A/PR/34 strains. Sera of 62 well persons, regularly exposed to contacts with swine, were tested against an inactivated A/New Jersey/76 antigen.Those born some time before and during a certain influenza era showed a significantly greater proportion of homologous residual titres against the subtype prevailing in that influenza era, than those born after the termination of the same era.In each of the seven age groups tested both the percentage of positives and the geometric mean titres were usually highest against the Hong Kong strain (representing the most recent era); the next highest were those against the FM1 strain and the lowest were those against the PR8 strain (representing the most distant of these three influenza eras).The serological involvement of donors exposed to regular contacts with swine was relatively stronger against the New Jersey antigen than the response of other serum donors shown against the other three, more recent, prototypes of influenza virus A. The oldest age groups showed significantly lower antibody response against the PR8, FM1 and Hong Kong strains (but not against the New Jersey antigen) than the next one or two of the younger age groups.


1983 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Clark ◽  
C. W. Potter ◽  
R. Jennings ◽  
J. P. Nicholl ◽  
A. F. Langrick ◽  
...  

SUMMARYGroups of volunteers were immunized subcutaneously with one of three inacti vated influenza virus A/USSR/77 (HlNl) vaccine preparations; a whole virus vaccine, a surface-antigen subunit adsorbed vaccine, or an aqueous surface-antigen subunit vaccine. The reactions to immunization were recorded, and the antibody response was measured 1 month later. A fourth group of volunteers were inoculated intranasally with live attentuated A/USSR/77 (H1N1) influenza virus; the reactions and antibody response of these volunteers were also measured. One month after immunization, the incidence of infection by challenge with homologous live attentuated virus was determined for all groups of volunteers. The results showed that all four vaccines used were relatively non-reactogenic, and that inactivated vaccines induced higher titres of serum antibody than the live attenuated vaccine. All the vaccines induced significant protection against challenge virus infection which was directly related to the level of serum HI antibody response.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew W. Keller ◽  
Benjamin L. Rambo-Martin ◽  
Malania M. Wilson ◽  
Callie A. Ridenour ◽  
Samuel S. Shepard ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTFor the first time, a complete genome of an RNA virus has been sequenced in its original form. Previously, RNA was sequenced by the chemical degradation of radiolabelled RNA, a difficult method that produced only short sequences. Instead, RNA has usually been sequenced indirectly by copying it into cDNA, which is often amplified to dsDNA by PCR and subsequently analyzed using a variety of DNA sequencing methods. We designed an adapter to short highly conserved termini of the influenza virus genome to target the (-) sense RNA into a protein nanopore on the Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing platform. Utilizing this method and total RNA extracted from the allantoic fluid of infected chicken eggs, we demonstrate successful sequencing of the complete influenza virus genome with 100% nucleotide coverage, 99% consensus identity, and 99% of reads mapped to influenza. By utilizing the same methodology we can redesign the adapter in order to expand the targets to include viral mRNA and (+) sense cRNA, which are essential to the viral life cycle. This has the potential to identify and quantify splice variants and base modifications, which are not practically measurable with current methods.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akikazu Sakudo ◽  
Naohiro Shimizu ◽  
Yuichiro Imanishi ◽  
Kazuyoshi Ikuta

We have recently treated with N2gas plasma and achieved inactivation of bacteria. However, the effect of N2gas plasma on viruses remains unclear. With the aim of developing this technique, we analyzed the virucidal effect of N2gas plasma on influenza virus and its influence on the viral components. We treated influenza virus particles with inert N2gas plasma (1.5 kpps; kilo pulses per second) produced by a short high-voltage pulse generated from a static induction thyristor power supply. A bioassay using chicken embryonated eggs demonstrated that N2gas plasma inactivated influenza virus in allantoic fluid within 5 min. Immunochromatography, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Coomassie brilliant blue staining showed that N2gas plasma treatment of influenza A and B viruses in nasal aspirates and allantoic fluids as well as purified influenza A and B viruses induced degradation of viral proteins including nucleoprotein. Analysis using the polymerase chain reaction suggested that N2gas plasma treatment induced changes in the viral RNA genome. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that aggregation and fusion of influenza viruses were induced by N2gas plasma treatment. We believe these biochemical changes may contribute to the inactivation of influenza viruses by N2gas plasma.


1942 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
George K. Hirst

1. The agglutination titer for chicken red cells of freshly prepared or carefully stored suspensions of PR8 influenza virus, that is to say virus of maximum pathogenicity, was found to be proportional to the mouse lethal titer of the same preparations. 2. The agglutination titer of infected allantoic fluid procured in a standard way is relatively constant, regardless of the influenza strain used and its pathogenicity for mice. 3. Virus preparations inactivated by heat or storage may retain their agglutinating power. 4. Certain animal sera contain a partially heat-labile factor which, in low dilution, inhibits the agglutination of chicken red cells by influenza A and influenza B viruses. 5. The agglutination inhibition test, using ferret and human sera, gives qualitative data regarding influenza antibodies which are similar to the information obtained on the same sera by means of the virus neutralization test. 6. There is a definite relationship between the agglutination inhibition titer and the virus neutralization titer of a serum. On a logarithmic scale of both variables, this relationship is essentially linear within the range investigated. 7. The agglutination inhibition titer of immune ferret serum is inversely proportional to the amount of virus used in the test.


1955 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-255
Author(s):  
Barbara K. Buchner ◽  
D. B. W. Reid ◽  
G. Dempster

The antibody response to the subcutaneous inoculation of a single 1 ml. dose of a quadrivalent formalin-killed influenza virus egg vaccine has been measured. The vaccine used contained two A prime components and an A and a B component. Satisfactory responses were obtained two weeks after inoculation to the A and B components and to one of the A prime strains (FM1). A poor antibody response was noted to the other A prime strain incorporated in the vaccine (FW50). The highest levels were obtained with the Lee strain (Type B) which also stimulated an antibody rise to a recently isolated Type B strain. Antibody levels were maintained for at least 12 weeks. Treatment of the sera with RDE was found to influence the results obtained with the FM1 strain used.


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