Genetic material should be routinely collected in clinical vaccine trials--high consent rates can be achieved across all age groups.

BACKGROUND: Genomic and transcriptomic studies underpin much investigation in biology and should be included routinely in clinical trials such as vaccine studies to provide new insight into the development of immunity and the genetic basis for adverse reactions. Interest in collecting and storing genetic material for subsequent high-throughput meta-analyses has increased substantially in recent years. Participants in clinical trials represent an important and invaluable source of clinical material and data. METHODS: Here, the experience of a single center in obtaining informed consent for the collection and long-term storage of genetic material from children, adolescents and adults, involved in clinical vaccine trials is presented and discussed. RESULTS: In 11 completed vaccine studies involving almost 3000 individuals, high rates of consent (in excess of 96%) for biobanking and future genetic testing were obtained. Rates were high for participants from all age groups; however, there was a significant increase toward greater uptake by older study participants. CONCLUSIONS: These high acceptance rates demonstrate that participants (and parents of young children) in vaccine studies are willing to consent and engage in genetic research, which provides support for routinely collecting genetic material in research involving healthy participants such as clinical vaccine trials.

Bacterial genomic detection within cerebrospinal fluid of patients with meningococcal disease is influenced by microbial and host characteristics.

Among 384 patients with confirmed meningococcal disease, the likelihood of detecting Neisseria meningitidis DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) increased with age, serogroup B infection, and prehospitalization antibiotic treatment. Plasma and CSF genomic bacterial loads of non-B N. meningitidis serogroups correlated significantly. Serogroup B-infected patients with genotype TNF2 (-308A) had significantly higher CSF bacterial loads.

Adult survivors of invasive pneumococcal disease exhibit defective B cell function.

Adults who have recovered from an episode of invasive pneumococcal disease demonstrate defective B cell activation in response to αδ-dex, a polyclonal polysaccharide mimic, compared with matched control subjects. The defect is not overcome by CD4(+) T cell assistance and may explain the relatively poor response to pneumococcal vaccination in survivors of invasive pneumococcal disease.