Karen McCarthy (Ireland)

Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute Immunology
Dr. Karen McCarthy is a Paediatric Specialist Registrar, Royal College of Physicians Ireland with a sub-speciality interest in Paediatric Infectious Diseases. In her current role as a Wellcome-HRB clinical academic research fellow at Trinity College Dublin she is undertaking PhD studies focused on the topic of mucosal tissue resident memory T cell responses to respiratory pathogens following infection and vaccination.

Author Of 2 Presentations

 Conference Calendar

Young ESPID Coordinator

Date
Wed, 11.05.2022
Session Time
07:00 - 07:50
Session Type
Meet The Experts
Session Name
0240 - MEET THE EXPERT: Staphylococcal Infections (ID 47)
Room
BANQUETING HALL
Presenter
Lecture Time
07:00 - 07:00

TISSUE RESIDENT MEMORY T CELLS AND THEIR ROLE IN SUSTAINED IMMUNITY TO BORDETELLA PERTUSSIS FOLLOWING ACELLULAR AND WHOLE CELL VACCINATION IN HUMANS

Date
Thu, 12.05.2022
Session Time
10:00 - 11:32
Session Type
Oral Presentations Session
Session Name
0630 - ORAL PRESENTATION SESSION 04: Vaccines (ID 86)
Room
DIMITRIS MITROPOULOS HALL
Presenter
Lecture Time
11:02 - 11:12

Abstract

Backgrounds:

The objective of this study is to investigate if Tissue resident memory T cells (TRM) cells specific for Bordetella pertussis (B.pertussis) are identifiable in human adeno-tonsillar tissue and to determine the impact of acellular or whole cell pertussis vaccination in childhood on the frequency of antigen-specific TRM cells.

Methods

Twenty study participants undergoing elective tonsillectomy were recruited, 10 of whom received the acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine in childhood (<25 years of age) and 10 of whom received the whole cell pertussis (wP) vaccine. Operative tonsil tissue, venous blood and nasopharyngeal swab (B. pertussis culture and PCR) will be collected from each participant. Tonsil and blood mononuclear cells were isolated and cultured with a panel of B. pertussis antigens and antigen-specific cytokine producing TRM were identified via flow cytometry.

Results:

We have identified IFN-γ and/or IL-17-producing CD69+CD103- and CD69+CD013+ CD4+ TRM cells in human adeno-tonsillar tissue, but not in peripheral blood, which were expanded by culture with sonicated B. pertussis (SBP) and filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA). Adults who received whole cell pertussis vaccination during routine childhood immunisation had significantly more IFN-γ producing CD69+ TRM following stimulation with SBP and FHA than aP vaccinated individuals (p<0.05).

Conclusions/Learning Points:

Our study demonstrates that in humans, whole cell pertussis vaccination during routine childhood immunsiaiton but not acellular pertussis vaccine induces a population of antigen specific-cytokine producing TRM cells in tonsillar tissue that persist up to 30 years following initial vaccination. In the murine model, these cells in the nose and lung have been associated with protection against colonisation following B. pertussis aerosol challenge. Immunisation strategies that aim to generate a population of protective TRM cells at mucosal site of infection are therefore more likely to induce more effective and sustained protective immunity.

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Presenter of 2 Presentations

 Conference Calendar

Young ESPID Coordinator

Date
Wed, 11.05.2022
Session Time
07:00 - 07:50
Session Type
Meet The Experts
Session Name
0240 - MEET THE EXPERT: Staphylococcal Infections (ID 47)
Room
BANQUETING HALL
Presenter
Lecture Time
07:00 - 07:00

TISSUE RESIDENT MEMORY T CELLS AND THEIR ROLE IN SUSTAINED IMMUNITY TO BORDETELLA PERTUSSIS FOLLOWING ACELLULAR AND WHOLE CELL VACCINATION IN HUMANS

Date
Thu, 12.05.2022
Session Time
10:00 - 11:32
Session Type
Oral Presentations Session
Session Name
0630 - ORAL PRESENTATION SESSION 04: Vaccines (ID 86)
Room
DIMITRIS MITROPOULOS HALL
Presenter
Lecture Time
11:02 - 11:12

Abstract

Backgrounds:

The objective of this study is to investigate if Tissue resident memory T cells (TRM) cells specific for Bordetella pertussis (B.pertussis) are identifiable in human adeno-tonsillar tissue and to determine the impact of acellular or whole cell pertussis vaccination in childhood on the frequency of antigen-specific TRM cells.

Methods

Twenty study participants undergoing elective tonsillectomy were recruited, 10 of whom received the acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine in childhood (<25 years of age) and 10 of whom received the whole cell pertussis (wP) vaccine. Operative tonsil tissue, venous blood and nasopharyngeal swab (B. pertussis culture and PCR) will be collected from each participant. Tonsil and blood mononuclear cells were isolated and cultured with a panel of B. pertussis antigens and antigen-specific cytokine producing TRM were identified via flow cytometry.

Results:

We have identified IFN-γ and/or IL-17-producing CD69+CD103- and CD69+CD013+ CD4+ TRM cells in human adeno-tonsillar tissue, but not in peripheral blood, which were expanded by culture with sonicated B. pertussis (SBP) and filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA). Adults who received whole cell pertussis vaccination during routine childhood immunisation had significantly more IFN-γ producing CD69+ TRM following stimulation with SBP and FHA than aP vaccinated individuals (p<0.05).

Conclusions/Learning Points:

Our study demonstrates that in humans, whole cell pertussis vaccination during routine childhood immunsiaiton but not acellular pertussis vaccine induces a population of antigen specific-cytokine producing TRM cells in tonsillar tissue that persist up to 30 years following initial vaccination. In the murine model, these cells in the nose and lung have been associated with protection against colonisation following B. pertussis aerosol challenge. Immunisation strategies that aim to generate a population of protective TRM cells at mucosal site of infection are therefore more likely to induce more effective and sustained protective immunity.

Hide