influenza-specific nasal IgA
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Comparison of nasal fluid sampling methods for assessment of influenza-specific nasal IgA following live attenuated influenza vaccine in adults.
IRAS ID
189572
Contact name
Thushan de Silva
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NA, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 29 days
Research summary
Influenza (‘flu) can cause severe infections, especially in the very young and old, as well as people with weakened immune systems. For this reason, yearly vaccination is recommended with the standard ‘inactivated’ influenza vaccine to try and prevent infections in these populations. It is also recommended in all health care workers, to help prevent the spread of influenza within healthcare settings. An alternative to the standard ‘inactivated’ annual influenza vaccine is the ‘live attenuated influenza vaccine’ (LAIV), which means it consists of weakened versions of the influenza virus. Unlike the standard vaccine, which is given by injection, LAIV is a spray that is given into each nostril. It is now given to children in the UK in preference to the standard vaccine as it results in greater protection from influenza. In some other countries, like the USA, adults are also given LAIV, where it seems to work just as well as the standard vaccine. This vaccine probably works in different ways to the standard ‘flu vaccine, by improving your body’s ability to fight ‘flu infections where it first encounters it in the nose (by producing specific factors called IgA antibodies). Although there is a lot of experience measuring how well vaccines produce responses in the blood, less is known about the best ways of looking for a vaccine response (IgA) in fluid from the nose.
We want to give LAIV to healthy adults and obtain nasal fluid in several different ways to then compare the amount of IgA that can fight influenza, to see which method is best. We then aim to use this information in future research studies looking at why some people produce a good IgA response to LAIV and other don’t, with the long term aim of improving future vaccines.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/YH/0486
Date of REC Opinion
10 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion