BCG Vaccination Protects against Experimental Viral Infection in Humans through the Induction of Cytokines Associated with Trained Immunity.

Rob J W Arts, Simone J C F M Moorlag, Boris Novakovic, Yang Li, Shuang-Yin Wang, Marije Oosting, Vinod Kumar, Ramnik J Xavier, Cisca Wijmenga, Leo A B Joosten, Chantal B E M Reusken, Christine S Benn, Peter Aaby, Marion P Koopmans, Hendrik G Stunnenberg, Reinout van Crevel, Mihai G Netea

Journal: Cell host & microbe 2018;23(1):89-100.e5

PMID: 29324233

Abstract

The tuberculosis vaccine bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has heterologous beneficial effects against non-related infections. The basis of these effects has been poorly explored in humans. In a randomized placebo-controlled human challenge study, we found that BCG vaccination induced genome-wide epigenetic reprograming of monocytes and protected against experimental infection with an attenuated yellow fever virus vaccine strain. Epigenetic reprogramming was accompanied by functional changes indicative of trained immunity. Reduction of viremia was highly correlated with the upregulation of IL-1β, a heterologous cytokine associated with the induction of trained immunity, but not with the specific IFNγ response. The importance of IL-1β for the induction of trained immunity was validated through genetic, epigenetic, and immunological studies. In conclusion, BCG induces epigenetic reprogramming in human monocytes in vivo, followed by functional reprogramming and protection against non-related viral infections, with a key role for IL-1β as a mediator of trained immunity responses.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Address: Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.; Department of Molecular Biology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.; Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.; Center for Computational and Integrative Biology and Gastrointestinal Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.; Department Viroscience, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.; Research Center for Vitamins and Vaccines (CVIVA), Bandim Health Project, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark; OPEN, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark/Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.; Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department for Genomics & Immunoregulation, Life and Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected].
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