BCG vaccination is associated with longitudinal changes in systemic eicosanoid levels in elderly individuals: A secondary outcome analysis

Abstract

We investigated how BCG vaccination affects the levels of certain eicosanoids, namely Leukotriene B4, 15-epimer of LXA4, prostaglandin F2, Lipoxin A4, Prostaglandin E2 and Resolvin D1 in the plasma of healthy elderly individuals (aged 60–80) before vaccination, one month post-vaccination (M1), and six months post-vaccination (M6). This study is part of the clinical trial ''BCG Vaccine Study: Reducing COVID-19 Impact on the Elderly in Indian Hotspots,'' registered in the clinical trial registry (NCT04475302). While some primary outcomes have been previously reported, this analysis delves into the immunological outcomes. Our findings indicate that BCG vaccination leads to reduced plasma levels of 15-epi-LXA4, LXA4, PGE2, and Resolvin D1 at both M1 and M6. In contrast, there is a notable increase in circulating levels of LTB4 at these time points following BCG vaccination. This underscores the immunomodulatory effects of BCG vaccination and hints at its potential to modulate immune responses by dampening inflammatory reactions.

Keywords

• Eicosanoids
• BCG
• Inflammation
• Vaccines
• Prostaglandins
• Leukotrienes