Parallel analysis of mucosally derived B- and T-cell responses to an oral typhoid vaccine using simplified methods

There is a great need for simple methods for analysis of immune responses to mucosal vaccines that can be used on small blood volumes in field trials in both children and adults. We have investigated if mucosally derived B- and T-cell responses can be monitored in parallel by analysis of antibodies and T-cell effector molecules in culture supernatants from circulating blood lymphocytes obtained from orally vaccinated Swedes. Immunization with a live oral model vaccine, i.e. Salmonellaenterica serovar Typhi Ty21a, gave rise to secretion of typhoid specific IgA and IgM antibodies from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and this response could be equally well detected by ELISA and ELISPOT 7 days after vaccination. The ELISA based assay could be further simplified by using buffy coat cells, but not by using whole blood or frozen PBMCs. Vaccine induced T-cell responses appeared later than the B-cell responses, but could be detected by ELISA assessment of IFN-γ and granzymes in supernatants from antigen stimulated PBMCs 21 days after vaccination. Thus, both B- and T-cell responses could be detected using simple ELISA based assays that would be practical to use in large-scale vaccine trials.