Shillong, August 21: New research suggests that predicting the likelihood of developing symptoms after an influenza infection could be improved by analyzing certain immune cells rather than relying solely on antibody levels, as currently practiced.
As per IANS, the study’s findings indicate that specific immune cell types are linked to both increased protection and increased susceptibility to symptoms following exposure to the virus.
Richard Webby from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Department of Host-Microbe Interactions explained, “We’ve been struggling for decades, if not centuries, with why some people get sick with infections and some don’t. This is one of the best attempts to try and figure that out for influenza.”
The study, published in Nature Immunology, identified that individuals with a more functionally diverse set of immune cells were more likely to be protected from experiencing flu symptoms. The researchers made this discovery by comparing immune cells in the blood of patients who showed flu symptoms to those who were asymptomatic or uninfected. The study used blood samples taken up to six months before the flu season.
Those without symptoms displayed a more diverse set of immune cells that were also associated with an influenza-specific long-term response, known as the memory response. On the other hand, patients with symptoms exhibited a more uniform set of inflammatory immune cells linked to a shorter-term response.
Additionally, the study showed that vaccinated individuals generally had more protective anti-flu immune cells, enhancing their ability to avoid symptoms. Interestingly, some unvaccinated individuals who remained symptom-free displayed immune cells with functions similar to those seen in vaccinated individuals.
While this may explain why certain unvaccinated individuals are less affected by the flu than others, the study emphasizes that vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent symptoms. The research underscores the importance of annual flu vaccination, as it is a key factor in boosting protective immune cell responses.
Paul Thomas from St. Jude Department of Immunology highlighted, “Our results reemphasize that vaccination prevents influenza symptoms, and now we can point to the increased levels of those immune cells correlated with that protection. Get your annual flu vaccine.”