Expert review of vaccines
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Expert review of vaccines · Feb 2006
ReviewHuman leukocyte antigen polymorphisms: variable humoral immune responses to viral vaccines.
Antibody formation in response to antigen stimulation remains the basis for measuring an individual's response and protection for most viral vaccines. A significant proportion of the variation in individual humoral immune response to vaccination appears to be genetic. ⋯ Recent research has demonstrated significant associations between vaccine response and human leukocyte antigen alleles. These associations not only explain why vaccine-induced humoral immune responses vary among individuals and between populations, but these variations may also hold the key to the development of future generations of vaccines.