Identification of rubella virus T-cell epitopes recognized in anamnestic response to RA27/3 vaccine:: associations with boost in neutralizing antibody titer

Rubella virus (RV)-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and antibodies were measured in healthy adolescents reimmunized with measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Lymphocyte proliferation to RV synthetic peptides was determined before and at 2, 4 and 10 weeks after, MMR. After MMR, increased CMI was observed with 16 peptides, including six containing antibody neutralization (NT) domains. Postive CMI (stimulation index greater than or equal to 2.0) to E1(254-285) and C(1-29) before vaccination was significantly associated with a boost in NT titers, while positive CMI at weeks 2 or 4 to E1(254-285), E1(301-314), E1(389-408), E1(462-481), E2 (134-150), E2(140-156), E2(165-179), C(1-29) and C(88-111) showed the same association. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.