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Experimental human pneumococcal colonization in older adults is feasible and safe, not immunogenic

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posted on 2021-03-31, 22:55 authored by H Adler, EL German, E Mitsi, E Nikolaou, S Pojar, Caroline HalesCaroline Hales, R Robinson, V Connor, H Hill, AD Hyder-Wright, L Lazarova, C Lowe, EL Smith, I Wheeler, SR Zaidi, SP Jochems, D Loukov, J Reiné, C Solórzano-Gonzalez, P de Gorguette d'Argoeuves, T Jones, D Goldblatt, T Chen, SJ Aston, N French, AM Collins, SB Gordon, DM Ferreira, J Rylance
Rationale: Pneumococcal colonization is key to the pathogenesis of invasive disease but is also immunogenic in young adults, protecting against recolonization. Colonization is rarely detected in older adults, despite high rates of pneumococcal disease. Objectives: To establish experimental human pneumococcal colonization in healthy adults aged 50-84 years, to measure the immune response to pneumococcal challenge, and to assess the protective effect of prior colonization against autologous strain rechallenge. Methods: Sixty-four participants were inoculated with Streptococcus pneumoniae (serotype 6B; 80,000 cfu in each nostril). Colonization was determined by bacterial culture of nasal wash, and humoral immune responses were assessed by anticapsular and antiprotein IgG concentrations. Measurements and Main Results: Experimental colonization was established in 39% of participants (25/64) with no adverse events. Colonization occurred in 47% (9/19) of participants aged 50-59 compared with 21% (3/14) in those aged >70 years. Previous pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination did not protect against colonization. Colonization did not confer serotypespecific immune boosting, with a geometric mean titer (95% confidence interval) of 2.7 mg/ml (1.9-3.8) before the challenge versus 3.0 (1.9-4.7) 4 weeks after colonization (P = 0.53). Furthermore, pneumococcal challenge without colonization led to a drop in specific antibody concentrations from 2.8 mg/ml (2.0-3.9) to 2.2 mg/ml (1.6-3.0) after the challenge (P = 0.006). Antiprotein antibody concentrations increased after successful colonization. Rechallenge with the same strain after a median of 8.5 months (interquartile range, 6.7-10.1) led to recolonization in 5/16 (31%). Conclusions: In older adults, experimental pneumococcal colonization is feasible and safe but demonstrates different immunological outcomes compared with younger adults in previous studies.

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Preferred citation

Adler, H., German, E. L., Mitsi, E., Nikolaou, E., Pojar, S., Hales, C., Robinson, R., Connor, V., Hill, H., Hyder-Wright, A. D., Lazarova, L., Lowe, C., Smith, E. L., Wheeler, I., Zaidi, S. R., Jochems, S. P., Loukov, D., Reiné, J., Solórzano-Gonzalez, C.,... Rylance, J. (2021). Experimental human pneumococcal colonization in older adults is feasible and safe, not immunogenic. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 203(5), 604-613. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202004-1483OC

Journal title

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Volume

203

Issue

5

Publication date

2021-03-01

Pagination

604-613

Publisher

American Thoracic Society

Publication status

Published

ISSN

1073-449X

eISSN

1535-4970

Language

en

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