Identification of rubella virus T-cell epitopes recognized in anamnestic response to RA27/3 vaccine: associations with boost in neutralizing antibody titer.

Abstract Rubella virus (RV)-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and antibodies were measured in healthy adolescents reimmunized with measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) vaccine. Lymphocyte proliferation to RV synthetic peptides was determined before and at 2, 4 and 10 weeks after, MMR. After MMR, increased CMI was observed with 16 peptides, including six containing antibody neutralization (NT) domains. Postive CMI (stimulation index ≥2.0) to E1(254–285) and C(1–29) before vaccination was significantly associated with a boost in NT titers, while positive CMI at weeks 2 or 4 to E1(254–285), E1(301–314), E1(389–408), E1(462–481), E2 (134–150), E2(140–156), E2(168–179), C(1–29) and C(88–111) showed the same association.