Role for CaMKIV in the Regulation of Antibody Responses to Influenza Vaccine (See companion studies SDY61 2007 / SDY269 2008 / SDY270 2009)

To demonstrate that the gene signatures identified in this study can generate new hypotheses, we selected one gene in the predictive signature, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV), for functional validation experiments. The CamkIV gene is involved in several processes of the immune system, such as T cell development,inflammatory response and hematopoietic stem cell maintenance. However, nothing is known about the possible role of CaMKIV in B cell responses. The fold-change in expression of the CaMKIV gene on day 3 post-TIV vaccination is negatively correlated with the antibody response on day 28 post-vaccination in two independent trials. Additionally, fold-change expression of CaMKIV is negatively correlated with the expansion of IgG-secreting plasmablasts at day 7, suggesting a possible role for this gene in the regulation of antibody responses to influenza vaccination.