Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41488669›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

T cell immunity to seasonal Influenza A and H5N1 viruses in laboratory workers receiving annual seasonal Influenza vaccines.

Joel Sop, Tyler P Beckey, Lizeth Gutierrez, Li Zhang, Kelly A Gebo, Kellie N Smith, Joel N Blankson

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Joel SopDepartment of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Tyler P BeckeyDepartment of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Lizeth GutierrezDepartment of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Li ZhangBloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Kelly A GeboDepartment of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Kellie N SmithBloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Joel N BlanksonDepartment of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Emerging threats such as highly pathogenic influenza strains like H5N1 emphasize the need for vaccines that induce cross-reactive immunity against conserved epitopes. Existing influenza vaccines primarily elicit strain-specific responses, leaving gaps in protection against pandemic subtypes. This study aimed to evaluate T cell responses to seasonal influenza A and H5N1 and compare them to SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell responses to understand differences shaped by distinct exposure histories and vaccination strategies. Methods: T cell responses were assessed in 41 laboratory workers who received annual seasonal influenza vaccines using ELISpot to quantify responses to peptide pools derived from influenza (H1N1 hemagglutinin [HA], H3N2 HA, H5N1 HA, matrix protein 1 [MP1], nucleoprotein [NP]) and SARS-CoV-2 (spike [S2S], nucleocapsid [S2N]). Ten-day expansion assays were used to evaluate functional cross-reactivity between H1, H3, and H5 HA. Intracellular cytokine staining was performed to assess antigen-specific T cell functionality. We used the IFN-γ ELISpot assay and intracellular cytokine staining to evaluate T cell responses to H5N1 HA peptides and assessed cross-reactivity and functional similarity in H1N1 HA-expanded cells. Results: The percentage of individuals with effector T cell responses to influenza peptide pools, was markedly lower than the percentage of individuals with S2S-specific T cells. However, HA-specific memory cells that cross-recognized H1, H3, and H5 HA were present in many individuals. T cells expanded with H1 or H5 HA proteins cross-recognized homologous epitopes in the 2 proteins and cytokine production profiles were comparable between H1- and H5-expanded T cells. Conclusion: These results highlight the potential for influenza vaccines to elicit cross-reactive immunity against H5N1 viruses. These findings also demonstrate differences between T cell responses to influenza and SARS-CoV-2, highlighting distinct immune profiles that could inform future vaccine strategies.

Indexed as

Influenza A Virus, H5N1 SubtypeInfluenza, HumanInfluenza VaccinesT-LymphocytesAdultCOVID-19Cross ReactionsFemaleHumansImmunity, CellularInfluenza A Virus, H1N1 SubtypeMaleMiddle AgedSARS-CoV-2SeasonsYoung AdultInfluenza VaccinesH5N1 (avian influenza)SARS - CoV - 2T cellT cell epitopevaccine

Identifiers

PMID41488669
PMCPMC12756375

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.