Influenza-Specific T-Cell Responses to Vaccination Are Independent of Underlying Hematological Malignancy: Analysis of a Randomized Influenza Vaccination Trial

Hall, VG; Nguyen, THO; Smibert, OC; Allen, LF; Sullivan, SG; Fox, A; Carolan, L; Wheatley, AK; Kent, SJ; Gilbertson, B; Lim, C; Barr, IG; Peck, H; Fuge-Larsen, P; Klimevski, E; Tennakoon, S; Saunders, NR; Joyce, T; Whitechurch, A; Khot, A; Anderson, MA; Trubiano, JA; Worth, LJ; Yong, MK; Slavin, MA; Kedzierska, K; Teh, BW

Author(s): Hall, VG; Nguyen, THO; Smibert, OC; Allen, LF; Sullivan, SG; Fox, A; Carolan, L; Wheatley, AK; Kent, SJ; Gilbertson, B; Lim, C; Barr, IG; Peck, H; Fuge-Larsen, P; Klimevski, E; Tennakoon, S; Saunders, NR; Joyce, T; Whitechurch, A; Khot, A; Anderson, MA; Trubiano, JA; Worth, LJ; Yong, MK; Slavin, MA; Kedzierska, K; Teh, BW;
Details: Publication Year 2025-12-20,Volume 232,Issue #6,Page 1319-1329
Journal Title: Journal of Infectious Diseases
Publication Type: Research article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: There are few in-depth immunogenicity analyses of novel influenza vaccination strategies in high-risk patients with hematological malignancy (HM). METHODS: Participants receiving treatment for active HM (multiple myeloma [MM], chronic lymphocytic leukemia [CLL], or non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL]) in a randomized controlled trial of 2 doses of adjuvanted quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (QIV) versus 2 doses of standard-dose QIV during 2022 were included. Hemagglutination (HA) inhibition assay and HA probe-specific B-cells were compared at baseline and 1, 2, and 6 months after the first vaccine dose (visits 1-4). A subset underwent ex vivo live virus infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells at visits 1 and 3 with A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 to assess interferon (IFN) γ-producing CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, natural killer cells, CD161+TRAV1-2+ mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT)-like T cells and γδ T cells. RESULTS: In total, 62 patients with HM were analyzed (32 in the adjuvanted-dose and 30 in the standard-dose group), 13 (21.0%) with CLL, 24 (38.7%) MM, and 25 (40.3%) with NHL. Participants with MM had higher geometric mean antibody titers (P < .001) and influenza-specific B-cell responses for H1, H3, and B/Victoria at visits 2 and 3 than those with CLL or NHL (P < .05). The total CD19+ B-cell and HA probe-specific B-cell counts were found to significantly predict seroconversion at visits 2 and 3. Overall, with vaccination, there was an increase in the percentage frequency of B/Victoria influenza-specific B-cells (P = .01), IFN-γ-producing CD4+ T cells (P = .01) for A/H1N1 and IFN-γ-producing MAIT-like cells (P = .003) for A/H3N2. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza strain-specific cellular responses were detectable following vaccination despite expected B-cell depletion in patients receiving active treatment for HM. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12622000454774.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Keywords: Humans; *Influenza Vaccines/immunology/administration & dosage; Male; Female; *Influenza, Human/prevention & control/immunology; Middle Aged; *Hematologic Neoplasms/immunology; Aged; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype/immunology; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype/immunology; Vaccination; *T-Lymphocytes/immunology; Adult; Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; B-Lymphocytes/immunology; Antibodies, Viral/blood; Vaccines, Inactivated/immunology/administration & dosage; adaptive immunity; immunocompromise; influenza virus; innate immunity
Department(s): Infectious Diseases; Haematology
Publisher's Version: https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiaf297
Terms of Use/Rights Notice: Refer to copyright notice on published article.

Creation Date: 2025-07-25 07:49:18

Last Modified: 2026-01-20 05:38:39