Neutrophils are required during immunization with the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for protective antibody responses and host defense against infection

Neutrophils can shape adaptive immunity, however their role in vaccine-induced protection against infections in vivo remains unclear. Here, we tested their role in the clinically relevant polysaccharide conjugate vaccine against Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). We antibody depleted neutrophils during vaccination, allowed them to recover, and four weeks later challenged mice with pneumococci. We found that while isotype-treated vaccinated controls were protected against an otherwise lethal infection in naive mice, full protection was lost upon neutrophil depletion. Compared to vaccinated controls, neutrophil-depleted mice had higher lung bacterial burdens, increased incidence of bacteremia and lower survival rates. Sera from neutrophil-depleted mice had less anti-pneumococcal IgG2c and IgG3, were less efficient at inducing opsonophagocytic killing of bacteria by neutrophils in vitro and worse at protecting naive mice against pneumococcal pneumonia. In summary, neutrophils are required during vaccination for optimal host protection, which has important implications for future vaccine design against pneumococci and other pathogens.