Middle-aged individuals may be in a perpetual state of H3N2 influenza virus susceptibility

Sigrid Gouma, Kangchon Kim, Madison E. Weirick, Megan E. Gumina, Angela Branche, David J. Topham, Emily T. Martin, Arnold S. Monto, Sarah Cobey and Scott E. Hensley ()
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Sigrid Gouma: University of Pennsylvania
Kangchon Kim: University of Chicago
Madison E. Weirick: University of Pennsylvania
Megan E. Gumina: University of Pennsylvania
Angela Branche: University of Rochester Medical Center
David J. Topham: University of Rochester Medical Center
Emily T. Martin: University of Michigan School of Public Health
Arnold S. Monto: University of Michigan School of Public Health
Sarah Cobey: University of Chicago
Scott E. Hensley: University of Pennsylvania

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Influenza virus exposures in childhood can establish long-lived memory B cell responses that can be recalled later in life. Here, we complete a large serological survey to elucidate the specificity of antibodies against contemporary H3N2 viruses in differently aged individuals who were likely primed with different H3N2 strains in childhood. We find that most humans who were first infected in childhood with H3N2 viral strains from the 1960s and 1970s possess non-neutralizing antibodies against contemporary 3c2.A H3N2 viruses. We find that 3c2.A H3N2 virus infections boost non-neutralizing H3N2 antibodies in middle-aged individuals, potentially leaving many of them in a perpetual state of 3c2.A H3N2 viral susceptibility.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18465-x

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