Early expansion of CD38+ICOS+ GC Tfh in draining lymph nodes during influenza vaccination immune response
Hannah Law, M Mach, Annett Howe, Solange Obeid, Brad Milner, Cate Carey, Maxine Elfis, Bertha Fsadni, Katherine Ognenovska, Tri Giang Phan, D. D. Carey, Yin Xu, Vanessa Venturi, John Zaunders, Anthony D. Kelleher, C. Mee Ling Munier
Abstract
vaccine responses is difficult. We used ultrasound guided fine needle biopsy to monitor recall responses in axillary LNs to seasonal influenza vaccination in healthy volunteers. Specific expansion of GC cell subsets occurred exclusively within draining LNs five days postvaccination. Draining LN GC Tfh and precursor-Tfh cells express higher levels of CD38, ICOS, and Ki67, indicating they were significantly more activated, motile, and proliferating, compared to contralateral LN cells. These observations provide insight into the early expansion phase of the human Tfh lineage within LNs during a vaccine induced memory response and highlights early LN immune responses may not be reflected in the periphery.