Aging brought additional immune response alterations after breakthrough infections with the Omicron BA.5/BF.7 variants: Protein immune mechanism.

Yuhan Sun, Hongyu Wang, Hua Wang, Jianpeng Cai, Guanmin Yuan, Haocheng Zhang, Jingjing Zhao, Quanlin Xue, Xiaochun Jiang, Huang Ying, Yeting Zhang, Yongfeng Yang, Jialin Jin, Wenhong Zhang, Jiahuan Lu, Jingwen Ai, Sen Wang

Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

The global spread of the Omicron variant strain BA.5/BF.7 has led to an increase in breakthrough infections. The elderly population shows different immune responses after infection due to the aging of the immune system, which has not been fully studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aging on immune response after breakthrough infection of Omicron BA.5/BF.7 variant, especially the changes of protein immune mechanism. The study analyzed the concentration of antibodies in serum and their ability to neutralize the mutant strain by comparing the immune response of the elderly population and the young population after infection. Proteomics techniques were used to assess differences in the expression of key proteins in immune cells of different age groups. The study found that older subjects produced lower levels of antibodies after infection than younger subjects and showed a significantly reduced ability to neutralize against BA.5/BF.7. In addition, proteomic analysis showed that the expression of proteins related to inflammation and apoptosis significantly increased in the immune cells of the elderly, while the proteins related to antiviral response and cell repair significantly decreased. These findings provide new ideas for immune intervention strategies in the elderly population, and emphasize the targeted research of anti-virus vaccines.

The following analysis is generated by AI and may contain errors. It is separate from the authors’ abstract and is not peer review.

Research summary

The paper investigates the immune response alterations in the elderly population after breakthrough infections with the Omicron variant, which is relevant to understanding aging and its effects on immune function. However, while it provides insights into immune mechanisms, it does not address the root causes of aging or propose strategies for lifespan extension. The findings contribute to the field but are more of a solid research nature with limited broader implications.

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