Cited by 1,286T-cell and B-cell ImmunologyImmune responses and vaccinationsImmunotherapy and Immune Responses

Duration of Humoral Immunity to Common Viral and Vaccine Antigens

Open access
Amanna, Ian J., Carlson, Nichole E., Slifka, Mark K.·2007·New England Journal of Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Maintenance of long-term antibody responses is critical for protective immunity against many pathogens. However, the duration of humoral immunity and the role played by memory B cells remain poorly defined. METHODS: We performed a longitudinal analysis of antibody titers specific for viral antigens (vaccinia, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella-zoster virus, and Epstein-Barr virus) and nonreplicating antigens (tetanus and diphtheria) in 45 subjects for a period of up to 26 years. In addition, we measured antigen-specific memory B cells by means of limiting-dilution analysis, and we compared memory B-cell frequencies to their corresponding serum antibody levels. RESULTS: Antiviral antibody responses were remarkably stable, with half-lives ranging from an estimated 50 years for varicella-zoster virus to more than 200 years for other viruses such as measles and mumps. Antibody responses against tetanus and diphtheria antigens waned more quickly, with estimated half-lives of 11 years and 19 years, respectively. B-cell memory was long-lived, but there was no significant correlation between peripheral memory B-cell numbers and antibody levels for five of the eight antigens tested. CONCLUSIONS: These studies provide quantitative analysis of serologic memory for multiple antigens in subjects followed longitudinally over the course of more than one decade. In cases in which multiple exposures or repeated vaccinations were common, memory B-cell numbers did not correlate with antibody titers. This finding suggests that peripheral memory B cells and antibody-secreting plasma cells may represent independently regulated cell populations and may play different roles in the maintenance of protective immunity.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1056/nejmoa066092

Cites

38 of 38 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

We couldn’t retrieve this paper’s full text, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Amanna, I. J., Carlson, N. E., & Slifka, M. K.
Affiliations
Oregon Health & Science University (US)
Venue
New England Journal of Medicine
Published
2007-11-08
Volume
357
Issue
19
Pages
1903-1915
ISSN
  • 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
  • 1533-4406
OpenAlex
W2128666074
Cited by
1,286
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 60 · 2025: 81 · 2024: 82 · 2023: 72 · 2022: 103 · 2021: 127 · 2020: 73 · 2019: 60 · 2018: 64 · 2017: 64 · 2016: 52 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 68 · 2013: 67 · 2012: 66
FWCI
17.94
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (P01AG023664)
  • National Center for Research Resources (RR000163, P51RR000163, M01RR000334, UL1RR024140, RR024140, RR 000334)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune responses and vaccinations
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
Keywords
humoral immunity, antibody half-life, memory B cells, long-term antibody persistence, vaccine antigens, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella-zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus, tetanus toxoid, diphtheria toxoid, protective immunity
MeSH terms
Adult, Aging, Antibodies, Bacterial, Antibodies, Viral, Antibody Formation, Antigens, Bacterial, Antigens, Viral, B-Lymphocytes, Diphtheria, Female, Half-Life, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Plasma Cells, Tetanus, Time Factors, Vaccines, Virus Diseases, Seroepidemiologic Studies, Lymphocyte Count

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review