AUTHOR=Giles Michelle L. , Cole Stephen , O’Bryan Jessica , Krishnaswamy Sushena , Ben-Othman Rym , Amenyogbe Nelly , Davey Mary-Ann , Kollmann Tobias TITLE=The PRotective Effect of Maternal Immunisation on preTerm birth: characterising the Underlying mechanisms and Role in newborn immune function: the PREMITUR study protocol JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=14 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1212320 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2023.1212320 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

Maternal immunisation, a low cost and high efficacy intervention is recommended for its pathogen specific protection. Evidence suggests that maternal immunisation has another significant impact: reduction of preterm birth (PTB), the single greatest cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally. Our overarching question is: how does maternal immunisation modify the immune system in pregnant women and/or their newborn to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes and enhance the newborn infant’s capacity to protect itself from infectious diseases during early childhood? To answer this question we are conducting a multi-site, prospective observational cohort study collecting maternal and infant biological samples at defined time points during pregnancy and post-partum from nulliparous women. We aim to enrol 400 women and determine the immune trajectory in pregnancy and the impact of maternal immunisation (including influenza, pertussis and/or COVID-19 vaccines) on this trajectory. The results are expected to identify areas that can be targeted for future intervention studies.