The sequential appearance of antibody and immunoglobins in nasal secretion after immunization of volunteers with live and inactivated influenza B virus vaccines

Abstract

The sequential development of the immune response in nasal washings was studied in 54 volunteers immunized with either attenuated or inactivated influenza B/Eng/13/65 virus vaccines. Eleven of the 15 volunteers given the inactivated vaccine by deep subcutaneous inoculation showed no rise in nasal wash protein or immunoglobins due to the immunization procedure nor was specific neutralizing antibody detected in their nasal washings after immunization. Neutralizing antibody was detected in nasal washings of three volunteers in this group who also showed a 20-fold or greater increase in serum haemagglutinin-inhibiting antibody after immunization and in one volunteer who had antibody present in pre-trial nasal washings. Eleven of 15 volunteers who were successfully infected by the live attenuated vaccine showed a characteristic rise in protein and IgA and IgG immunoglobin concentrations in nasal washings 5–14 days after the administration of the live virus vaccine. Neutralizing antibody was detected in the nasal washings of these 11 volunteers and appeared at the same time as or 1–2 days after the initial rise of protein and immunoglobin. Neutralizing antibody was also detected in the nasal washings of one other volunteer who did not show a rise in protein or immunoglobin concentration in nasal washings after immunization. IgA was detected (⋟ 3 mg./lOO ml.) in the majority (84%) of nasal wash specimens which had a protein concentration of 0·2 mg./ml. or greater while IgG was not detected (⋟ 4·5 mg./lOO ml.) until the protein concentration rose to 0·4 mg./ml. or greater. The geometric mean concentration for normal nasal wash protein in this study was 0·3 + 0·1 mg./ml. Regression analysis indicated that the concentrations of both IgA and IgG immunoglobins were directly proportional to the protein concentration in nasal washings but that this relationship varied considerably between individuals. Absorption studies indicated that neutralizing and haemagglutinin-inhibiting antibodies in nasal secretion to influenza B/Eng/13/65 virus were predominantly associated with the IgA class of immunoglobin. © 1973, Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved.