School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Mucosal Immunol. 2013 Mar;6(2):288-96. doi: 10.1038/mi.2012.70. Epub 2012 Jul 18.
Colonization of the nasopharyngeal mucosa by meningococcus and other polysaccharide (PS)-encapsulated bacteria precedes invasion. PS-conjugate vaccines induce PS-specific B-cell memory (B(MEM)) and also prevent colonization, thus blocking person-to-person transmission, generating herd protection. However, in isolation the B(MEM) are unable to sustain immunity. Furthermore, the duration of herd protection the vaccines induce appears limited. We demonstrate that, despite the persistence of PS-specific B(MEM), the population is not maintained within the nasopharynx. Although booster immunization results in the transient appearance of PS-specific B(MEM) within the mucosa, this reflects the re-circulation of systemic B(MEM) through the site rather than the generation of resident mucosal B(MEM). The induction of sustained PS-specific B(MEM) in the nasopharynx would allow the population to be activated by colonization, thus inhibiting subsequent invasion. It would also be expected to boost local mucosal immunity, thus extending herd protection. Strategies to generate PS-specific B(MEM) in the mucosa warrant further investigation.
脑膜炎球菌和其他荚膜多糖（PS）包裹细菌对鼻咽黏膜的定植先于入侵。PS 结合疫苗可诱导 PS 特异性 B 细胞记忆（B（MEM）），并防止定植，从而阻断人与人之间的传播，产生群体保护。然而，B（MEM）本身并不能维持免疫。此外，疫苗诱导的群体保护持续时间似乎有限。我们证明，尽管 PS 特异性 B（MEM）持续存在，但该群体并未在鼻咽部维持。尽管加强免疫会导致黏膜内一过性出现 PS 特异性 B（MEM），但这反映了系统 B（MEM）通过该部位的再循环，而不是常驻黏膜 B（MEM）的产生。在鼻咽部诱导持续的 PS 特异性 B（MEM）将允许该群体被定植激活，从而抑制随后的入侵。这也有望增强局部黏膜免疫力，从而延长群体保护。在黏膜中产生 PS 特异性 B（MEM）的策略值得进一步研究。
