Alteration of humoral, cellular and cytokine immune response to inactivated influenza vaccine in patients with Sickle Cell Disease.

SCD patients undergoing CT showed altered immune regulation as compared to other treatment subgroups. Altogether, the cytokine imbalance, the high regulatory T cell levels and the low memory lymphocyte subset levels observed in the SCD cohort, namely for those on CT, suggest a poor ability of SCD patients to fight against influenza infection. Nevertheless, our serological data support current clinical practice for annual influenza vaccination, though immunogenicity to other vaccines involving immunological memory might be hampered in SCD patients and should be further investigated.