Positive antibody response to vaccination in adolescence predicts lower C-reactive protein concentration in young adulthood in the Philippines.

OBJECTIVES

Inflammation has been associated with a wide range of chronic degenerative diseases, but the developmental factors contributing to the regulation of inflammation are poorly understood. This study investigates the within-individual association between antibody response to vaccination in adolescence and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration in young adulthood.

METHODS

In 1998-99, at age 14-15 years, a subset of participants (N = 96) in the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey were administered a typhoid vaccine, and baseline and follow-up blood samples were drawn to assess the strength of the antibody response to vaccination. In 2005, at age 20-21 years, blood samples were drawn from the full cohort for measurement of CRP. N = 74 individuals had complete data at both time points. Bivariate associations and multivariate logistic regression models were evaluated to test the hypothesis that vaccine responsiveness in adolescence was significantly associated with CRP level in young adulthood.

RESULTS

There was a strong and statistically significant association between antibody response to vaccination in adolescence and CRP in young adulthood. Median CRP was more than four times higher among nonresponders than responders, and nonresponders were 2.3 to 3.6 times more likely to have CRP in the top tertile of the sample distribution.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence for a prospective, within-individual link between more effective antibody-mediated immune defenses and lower levels of inflammation. In the context of prior research in this population, these results suggest that early environments are important determinants of multiple aspects of an individual's immuno-phenotype.