Immune metabolic interplay drives the protective antibody response pre-vaccination with Dengue virus Vaccine

Protective immunity to dengue virus (DENV) requires antibody response to all four serotypes. Systems vaccinology identified pre-vaccination mechanisms predictive of broad antibody responses after immunization with a tetravalent live-attenuated DENV vaccine candidate (Butantan-DV/TV003). Anti-inflammatory pathways including TGF-b signaling expressed by CD68low monocytes and the metabolokines phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were positively correlated with broadly neutralizing Ab responses against DENV. In contrast expression of pro-inflammatory pathways and cytokines (IFN, IL-1) in CD68hi monocytes and primary and secondary bile acids negatively correlated with broad DENVDENV specific Ab responses. Induction of TGF-b and IFNs respectively by PC/PE and bile acids in CD68low and CD68hi monocytes and their impact on viral sensing was confirmed in vitro. We show that the balance between metabolites and pro- or anti-inflammatory innate immune cells drives broad and protective B cell response to the live-attenuated dengue vaccine. Overall design: Prevaccination PBMC samples compared between high and low breadth of the neutralizing Ab response to Dengue vaccine Butantan-TV003