Influenza vaccination and COPD phenotypes

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Responses of the immune system to influenza vaccination in phenotypes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

• IRAS ID

  206898

• Contact name

  Arwel W Jones

• Contact email

  arjones@lincoln.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Lincoln

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 10 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  COPD is a condition of scarred lungs and difficulty breathing. A sudden worsening of symptoms of shortness of breath, coughing and phlegm is called an exacerbation (flare-ups). These are usually triggered by viral infections and often require a stay in hospital.

  We know that some with COPD are prone to flare-ups (known as frequent exacerbators), but we don’t as yet know why. The likely reason(s) include changes in immune function that increase susceptibility to viral infections. Unfortunately, research so far in this area has focused on in vitro (“in a test tube”) tests of parts of the immune system, which provide us with little information on how someone may respond to a chest infection.
  
  Vaccination can tell us how well our whole immune system works together to respond to controlled amounts of a foreign substance (antigen). The NHS currently recommends that all people with COPD should be given an annual vaccination against the flu. In general, results show that people with COPD have weaker immune responses to flu vaccination than those of a similar age without lung disease. No research studies have tested whether responses to vaccination are impaired in all COPD patients or only those who are believed to be at greatest risk of infection (hence weaker immune systems)- frequent exacerbators.

  The aim of this study is to determine responses of the immune system to the annual flu vaccination in people with COPD who experience frequent or infrequent exacerbations and healthy participants. We will collect blood and saliva immediately before and one month after flu vaccination at GP surgeries in the Autumn/Winter period. By measuring how quickly antibodies (that provide protection against infection) develop in the blood after vaccination we can provide important new information to help confirm whether those prone to COPD flare ups have weaker immune systems.

• REC name

  West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/WM/0335

• Date of REC Opinion

  27 Jul 2016

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion