Antibodies - decades of surviving
The Spanish flu, which from 1918 to 1920 in many places in the world raged, urged an estimated total of 25 million lives, some experts go so far at least 50 million deaths. The pathogen, a flu virus of type H1N1, was unusually aggressive and threatened primarily young, healthy people and not like the other types of flu viruses mainly young children and older people (see also). Now, U.S. researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville (the U.S. state of Tennessee) demonstrated that survivors of the Spanish flu, 90 to 100 years later still have antibodies against this devastating virus in their blood. And that these antibodies in animal experiments with mice still effective against the pathogen reconstructed the Spanish flu. As the researchers James Crowe in the scientific journal Nature (online advance publication of 17 August 2008) write, this is the longest immunological memory, which so far has been found. Crowe and his staff for their investigation 32 people, who arrived today from 91 to 101 years old and the Spanish flu epidemic was both experienced and survived until today. Most study participants who had two to twelve years old, were also well to remember that a former member of its budget to the flu and was ill appreciated direct contact with the virus had had. Your blood has been investigated, but could in all samples antibodies against the flu virus then. In seven out of eight study participants were also so-called memory cells, which are among the B-lymphocytes belong and the memory of past infections quasi save it so that when a new pathogen Contact a rapid, effective immune system into the way forward. This flu antibodies in laboratory mice. Then the mice were reconstructed with the agents of former Spanish flu infected. The only survived those mice that were previously flu antibodies also had received.
This study shows that the researchers on that B lymphocytes with an infection are established, many in up to ten - decades later in place and operational. Before the flu disease may present in violation of the Spanish flu virus antibodies effective, however, does not protect. This is due to the generally large variability of influenza viruses. Thus, the influenza virus since 1918 genetically modified so that the objectives of the then formed antibodies no longer be detected.