Early expansion of CD38+ICOS+ GC Tfh in draining lymph nodes during influenza vaccination immune response
Hannah Law,
Melanie Mach,
Annett Howe,
Solange Obeid,
Brad Milner,
Cate Carey,
Maxine Elfis,
Bertha Fsadni,
Katherine Ognenovska,
Tri Giang Phan,
Diane Carey,
Yin Xu,
Vanessa Venturi,
John Zaunders,
Anthony D. Kelleher,
C. Mee Ling Munier
Affiliations
Hannah Law
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia; Corresponding author
Melanie Mach
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, NSW, Australia
Annett Howe
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
Solange Obeid
St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney 2010, NSW, Australia
Brad Milner
St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney 2010, NSW, Australia
Cate Carey
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
Maxine Elfis
St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney 2010, NSW, Australia
Bertha Fsadni
St Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research (AMR), Sydney 2010, NSW, Australia
Katherine Ognenovska
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
Tri Giang Phan
Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney 2010, NSW, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2010, NSW, Australia
Diane Carey
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
Yin Xu
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
Vanessa Venturi
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
John Zaunders
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia; St Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research (AMR), Sydney 2010, NSW, Australia
Anthony D. Kelleher
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia; St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney 2010, NSW, Australia; St Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research (AMR), Sydney 2010, NSW, Australia
C. Mee Ling Munier
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia; Corresponding author
Summary: T follicular helper (Tfh) cells provide critical help to B cells during the germinal center (GC) reaction to facilitate generation of protective humoral immunity. Accessing the human lymph node (LN) to study the commitment of CD4 T cells to GC Tfh cell differentiation during in vivo vaccine responses is difficult. We used ultrasound guided fine needle biopsy to monitor recall responses in axillary LNs to seasonal influenza vaccination in healthy volunteers. Specific expansion of GC cell subsets occurred exclusively within draining LNs five days postvaccination. Draining LN GC Tfh and precursor-Tfh cells express higher levels of CD38, ICOS, and Ki67, indicating they were significantly more activated, motile, and proliferating, compared to contralateral LN cells. These observations provide insight into the early expansion phase of the human Tfh lineage within LNs during a vaccine induced memory response and highlights early LN immune responses may not be reflected in the periphery.
