Smallpox vaccination induces a substantial increase in commensal skin bacteria that promote pathology and influence the host response.

Shmeleva, Evgeniya V; Gomez de Agüero, Mercedes; Wagner, Josef; Enright, Anton J; Macpherson, Andrew J; Ferguson, Brian J; Smith, Geoffrey L (2022). Smallpox vaccination induces a substantial increase in commensal skin bacteria that promote pathology and influence the host response. PLoS pathogens, 18(4), e1009854. Public Library of Science 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009854

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Interactions between pathogens, host microbiota and the immune system influence many physiological and pathological processes. In the 20th century, widespread dermal vaccination with vaccinia virus (VACV) led to the eradication of smallpox but how VACV interacts with the microbiota and whether this influences the efficacy of vaccination are largely unknown. Here we report that intradermal vaccination with VACV induces a large increase in the number of commensal bacteria in infected tissue, which enhance recruitment of inflammatory cells, promote tissue damage and influence the host response. Treatment of vaccinated specific-pathogen-free (SPF) mice with antibiotic, or infection of genetically-matched germ-free (GF) animals caused smaller lesions without alteration in virus titre. Tissue damage correlated with enhanced neutrophil and T cell infiltration and levels of pro-inflammatory tissue cytokines and chemokines. One month after vaccination, GF and both groups of SPF mice had equal numbers of VACV-specific CD8+ T cells and were protected from disease induced by VACV challenge, despite lower levels of VACV-neutralising antibodies observed in GF animals. Thus, skin microbiota may provide an adjuvant-like stimulus during vaccination with VACV and influence the host response to vaccination.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gastro-intestinal, Liver and Lung Disorders (DMLL) > Clinic of Visceral Surgery and Medicine > Gastroenterology
04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > BioMedical Research (DBMR) > DBMR Forschung Mu35 > Forschungsgruppe Gastroenterologie / Mukosale Immunologie
04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > BioMedical Research (DBMR) > DBMR Forschung Mu35 > Forschungsgruppe Gastroenterologie / Mukosale Immunologie

UniBE Contributor:

Gomez de Agüero Tamargo, Maria de la Mercedes, Macpherson, Andrew

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

1553-7366

Publisher:

Public Library of Science

Language:

English

Submitter:

Pubmed Import

Date Deposited:

22 Apr 2022 11:59

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 16:19

Publisher DOI:

10.1371/journal.ppat.1009854

PubMed ID:

35446919

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/169434

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/169434

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