Cutting edge: long-term B cell memory in humans after smallpox vaccination
Abstract
Memory B cells are a central component of humoral immunity, and yet little is known about their longevity in humans. Immune memory after smallpox vaccination (DryVax) is a valuable benchmark for understanding the longevity of B cell memory in the absence of re-exposure to Ag. In this study, we demonstrate that smallpox vaccine-specific memory B cells last for >50 years in immunized individuals. Virus-specific memory B cells initially declined postimmunization, but then reached a plateau ∼10-fold lower than peak and were stably maintained for >50 years after vaccination at a frequency of ∼0.1% of total circulating IgG+ B cells. These persisting memory B cells were functional and able to mount a robust anamnestic Ab response upon revaccination. Additionally, virus-specific CD4+ T cells were detected decades after vaccination. These data show that immunological memory to DryVax vaccine is long-lived and may contribute to protection against smallpox.
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Smallpox- and yellow fever virus-specific CD8+ T cells persist for several decades after vaccination.
“Small pox- and yellow fever virus-specific CD8+ T cells persist for several decades after vaccination”
From Successful and Maladaptive T Cell Aging (2017) · cites this paper as Crotty et al., 2003
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- Authors
- Crotty, S., Felgner, P., Davies, H., Glidewell, J., Villarreal, L., & Ahmed, R.
- Affiliations
- Emory University (US)
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- King's College London (GB)
- Venue
- The Journal of Immunology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2003-11
- Volume
- 171
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 4969-4973
- ISSN
- 0022-1767 (ISSN-L)
- 1550-6606
- OpenAlex
- W1538962595
- Cited by
- 695
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 27 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 35 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 33
- FWCI
- 8.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Immunology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Virology › Poxvirus research and outbreaks
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune responses and vaccinations
- Keywords
- memory B cells, smallpox vaccination, Dryvax, long-term immune memory, humoral immunity, secondary immune response, revaccination, CD4+ T cells
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Antibodies, Viral, Cell Survival, Cells, Cultured, Child, Female, Humans, Immunization Schedule, Immunologic Memory, Male, Middle Aged, Smallpox Vaccine, Vaccines, Attenuated, Vaccinia virus, B-Lymphocyte Subsets
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