Characteristics of antibody responses in tick-borne encephalitis vaccination breakthroughs

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 27; no. 50; pp. 7021 - 7026
• Main Authors: Stiasny, Karin, Holzmann, Heidemarie, Heinz, Franz X
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 23.11.2009; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Allergy and Immunology; Anamnestic immune response; Antibodies, Neutralizing - blood; Antibodies, Neutralizing - immunology; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Antibody Affinity; Antibody Formation - immunology; Applied microbiology; Arachnids; Arboviral encephalitis; Arboviroses; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Disease; Encephalitis; Encephalitis, Tick-Borne - immunology; Encephalitis, Tick-Borne - prevention & control; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Flavivirus; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hospitalization; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immune response; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin G - immunology; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Immunoglobulin M - immunology; Immunologic Memory; Immunology; Infections; Infectious diseases; Influenza; Licenses; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Tick-borne encephalitis virus; Tropical viral diseases; Vaccination breakthrough; Vaccines; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects); Viral diseases; Viral Vaccines - immunology; Virology; Viruses; Young Adult; Europe; Vaccination breakthrough; Anamnestic immune response; Tick-borne encephalitis virus; Nervous system diseases; Immune response; Tick borne encephalitis; Vaccination; Flavivirus; Cerebral disorder; Infection; Tick borne encephalitis group virus; Virus; Viral disease; Arbovirus disease; Central nervous system disease; Flaviviridae; Tick borne encephalitis virus; Humoral immunity
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.09.069

Abstract Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is an important human pathogenic flavivirus that is endemic in Europe and Asia. The disease can be effectively prevented by inactivated vaccines and vaccination breakthroughs (VBTs) are rare. We investigated the characteristics of antibody responses in such VBTs in comparison to those in unvaccinated TBE patients. In contrast to the unvaccinated controls, most of the VBTs displayed a delayed IgM antibody response and had high avidity and strongly neutralizing antibodies already in the first sample taken upon hospitalization. The antibody profile of these patients therefore had the characteristics of an anamnestic immune response. In the VBTs analyzed, immunological priming and memory were apparently not sufficient or fast enough to prevent the disease.