Laban, NM; (2024) Antibody and T-cell responses in rotavirus vaccinated Zambian infants: impact of human cytomegalovirus infection. PhD thesis, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17037/PUBS.04674820
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Abstract
Oral rotavirus vaccines (ORV) demonstrate lower seroconversion rates in low-income compared to high-income settings, a phenomenon that is not fully understood. There is also limited knowledge on the T-cell immune responses in vaccinated infants creating a gap in understanding rotavirus immunology. I used plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from infants under a rotavirus vaccine trial in Zambia to measure the rotavirus specific immunoglobulin IgA (RV-IgA) antibody responses comparing two and three doses of an ORV (Rotarix) and the T cell responses associated with vaccination. I also investigated the influence of human cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin M (HCMV-IgM) seropositivity on vaccine immunogenicity. To contribute to coronavirus research, post the COVID-19 pandemic, I explored antibody responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and common cold coronaviruses among this mother-infant rotavirus trial study cohort. A low seroconversion rate of 27.8% was observed one month after two dose ORV administration and there was no significant boosting of RV-IgA three months after a third ORV dose administered at 9 months (p=0.223). HCMV-IgM seropositivity did not affect RV-IgA responses among overall infants but significantly reduced RV-IgA responses by 63% in HIVexposed-uninfected infants (p=0.008). Limited and very low frequency rotavirus VP6-specific T-cell responses were detected in vaccinated infants but enriched rotavirus VP6-specific CD4+ T-cell responses were observed among vaccine seroconverters. Overall, the thesis provided evidence that a booster ORV dose at 9 months did not improve vaccine immunogenicity by 12 months suggesting alternate rotavirus vaccine strategies or formulations may be necessary to improve vaccine immunogenicity in Zambia, and that HCMV-IgM seropositive HIV-exposed-uninfected infants were sub-populations vulnerable to reduced rotavirus immunity. The limited rotavirus-specific T-cell responses suggested that infants mount short-lived memory T-cell responses to ORV but also showed evidence of VP6-targeted CD4 T-cell dependent antibody response to rotavirus vaccination.
Item Type | Thesis |
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Thesis Type | Doctoral |
Thesis Name | PhD |
Contributors | Goodier, MR |
Faculty and Department | Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases > Department of Infection Biology |
Funder Name | Wellcome Trust, European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership |
Copyright Holders | Natasha Makabilo Laban |
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Filename: 2024_ITD_PhD_Laban_N.pdf
Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0
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