AUTHOR=Strandmark Julia , Darboe Alansana , Diray-Arce Joann , Ben-Othman Rym , Vignolo Sofia M. , Rao Shun , Smolen Kinga K. , Leroux-Roels Geert , Idoko Olubukola T. , Sanchez-Schmitz Guzmán , Ozonoff Al , Levy Ofer , Kollmann Tobias R. , Marchant Arnaud , Kampmann Beate TITLE=A single birth dose of Hepatitis B vaccine induces polyfunctional CD4+ T helper cells JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1043375 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2022.1043375 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

A single birth-dose of Hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) can protect newborns from acquiring Hepatitis B infection through vertical transmission, though several follow-up doses are required to induce long-lived protection. In addition to stimulating antibodies, a birth-dose of HepB might also induce polyfunctional CD4+ T-cells, which may contribute to initial protection. We investigated whether vaccination with HepB in the first week of life induced detectable antigen-specific CD4+ T-cells after only a single dose and following completion of the entire HepB vaccine schedule (3 doses). Using HBsAg- stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 344 infants, we detected increased populations of antigen-specific polyfunctional CD154+IL-2+TNFα+ CD4+ T-cells following a single birth-dose of HepB in a proportion of infants. Frequencies of polyfunctional T-cells increased following the completion of the HepB schedule but increases in the proportion of responders as compared to following only one dose was marginal. Polyfunctional T-cells correlated positively with serum antibody titres following the birth dose (day30) and completion of the 3-dose primary HepB vaccine series (day 128). These data indicate that a single birth dose of HepB provides immune priming for both antigen-specific B- and T cells