Transcriptional signatures associated with rubella virus‐specific humoral immunity after a third dose of MMR vaccine in women of childbearing age

• Published in: European journal of immunology Vol. 51; no. 7; pp. 1824 - 1838
• Main Authors: Haralambieva, Iana H., Eberhard, Katherine G., Ovsyannikova, Inna G., Grill, Diane E., Schaid, Daniel J., Kennedy, Richard B., Poland, Gregory A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.07.2021
• Subjects: Adult; Antibodies; Antibodies, Neutralizing - immunology; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Antiviral drugs; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cdc34 protein; Clonal selection; Cohort Studies; Cytokines; Female; genetic markers; Germinal centers; Humans; Humoral immunity; Immune status; immunity, humoral; Immunity, Humoral - immunology; Immunity, Innate - immunology; Innate immunity; Interferon; Janus kinase 2; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Lymphocytes B; Measles; Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine - immunology; Middle Aged; Mumps; RNA; Rubella; Rubella - immunology; rubella vaccine; Rubella virus - immunology; Somatic hypermutation; Transcription; Transcription, Genetic - immunology; transcriptome; Vaccination; Vaccination - methods; Vaccines; Young Adult; rubella; immunity, humoral; rubella vaccine; RNA; genetic markers; transcriptome
• ISSN: 0014-2980; 1521-4141; 1521-4141
• DOI: 10.1002/eji.202049054

Multiple factors linked to host genetics/inherent biology play a role in interindividual variability in immune response outcomes after rubella vaccination. In order to identify these factors, we conducted a study of rubella‐specific humoral immunity before (Baseline) and after (Day 28) a third dose of MMR‐II vaccine in a cohort of 109 women of childbearing age. We performed mRNA‐Seq profiling of PBMCs after rubella virus in vitro stimulation to delineate genes associated with post‐vaccination rubella humoral immunity and to define genes mediating the association between prior immune response status (high or low antibody) and subsequent immune response outcome. Our study identified novel genes that mediated the association between prior immune response and neutralizing antibody titer after a third MMR vaccine dose. These genes included the following: CDC34; CSNK1D; APOBEC3F; RAD18; AAAS; SLC37A1; FAS; and JAK2. The encoded proteins are involved in innate antiviral response, IFN/cytokine signaling, B cell repertoire generation, the clonal selection of B lymphocytes in germinal centers, and somatic hypermutation/antibody affinity maturation to promote optimal antigen‐specific B cell immune function. These data advance our understanding of how subjects’ prior immune status and/or genetic propensity to respond to rubella/MMR vaccination ultimately affects innate immunity and humoral immune outcomes after vaccination. By assessing transcriptional response to rubella virus stimulation our study unveils the factors associated with or mediating high or low rubella neutralizing antibody response after vaccination. The identified factors are mostly involved in innate antiviral response and antigen‐specific B cell immune function.