LOCAL AND SYSTEMIC ANTIBODY-RESPONSE AFTER VACCINATION WITH 3 DIFFERENT TYPES OF VACCINES AGAINST INFLUENZA .2. NEURAMINIDASE INHIBITING ANTIBODIES

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 246  (1) , 1-9
Abstract
Three types of inactivated bivalent influenza vaccines containing the A/Victoria/3/75 (A-Component) and B/Hongkong/8/73 (B-Component) antigens as aluminium salt adsorbed whole virus (Alorbat, A) and split virus (Begrivac S, B) or as fluid subunit (Sandovac, S) products were given to immunological homogeneous study groups of adults and children. The immune response was compared between the groups on the basis of systemic and local neuraminidase inhibiting (NI) antibody induction 4 wk/after vaccination. In evaluation of the serologic results, the sera and nasal washings were tested in the Essen-nit with the use of the A/Eq(eq1)-VIC (N 2) recombinant antigen and the B/Hong kong/8/73 strain. The number of individuals (adults plus children) evaluated ranged from 33-35/vaccine. The percentages of persons .gtoreq. 16 yr old, showing a significant (1.5 times or greater) response to the A-component were 100, 96 and 90%, respectively, for the vaccines. A, S and B; the values for the B-component were 70, 79 and 74%, respectively. The observed conversion rates in children ranged from 70-100%. Local antibody formation was less pronounced, the percentages of significant conversions were scattered over a wide range from 13-80% yielding slightly better responses in children than in adults. Taken altogether, the results of the trial indicate that the 3 vaccines studied induced appreciable concentrations of systemic antibodies to the neuraminidase antigen without significant differences between the vaccine types. This potency of the influenza vaccines to induce high titers of NI antibodies provides another marker for their immunogenicity and conceivably for their efficacy.