Changes in Cell-Mediated Immunity (IFN-γ and Granzyme B) Following Influenza Vaccination

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 13; no. 6; p. 1137
• Main Authors: Otani, Naruhito, Nakajima, Kazuhiko, Ishikawa, Kaori, Ichiki, Kaoru, Ueda, Takashi, Takesue, Yoshio, Yamamoto, Takuma, Tanimura, Susumu, Shima, Masayuki, Okuno, Toshiomi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 13.06.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antigens; Cell-mediated immunity; Cytotoxicity; Enzymes; Granzyme B; hemagglutination; Hemagglutination inhibition; Humoral immunity; IFN-γ; Influenza; influenza vaccination; influenza vaccines; interferon-gamma; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Vaccination; vaccine; Vaccines; γ-Interferon; Singapore; Thailand; United States > US; Phuket Thailand; Texas; Japan
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v13061137

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is considered a key moderator of cell-mediated immunity. However, little is known about its association with granzyme B, which plays an important role in the effector function of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). In the present study, we collected blood samples from 32 healthy adults before and after vaccination with inactivated influenza vaccine in 2017/18 to measure the levels of IFN-γ and granzyme B, which play roles in cell-mediated immunity, and hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) antibody, which plays a role in humoral immunity. The levels of IFN-γ and granzyme B were significantly correlated both before and after vaccination. Furthermore, the post-vaccine fold increases in the IFN-γ and granzyme B levels were significantly correlated. The levels of IFN-γ and granzyme B decreased five months after vaccination in more than half of the subjects who exhibited an increase in IFN-γ and granzyme B at two weeks post-vaccination. This is the first study to investigate the correlation between IFN-γ and granzyme B levels following influenza vaccination. Our study suggests that both IFN-γ and granzyme B can be used as markers of cell-mediated immunity.