Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

The development and progression of certain age-related diseases, attributed to inflammation and the gradual deterioration of the immune system over time, may be modulated by past exposure or induction of responses to micropathogens. Humoral immunity activated by standard vaccination has been linked to changes in inflammatory response pathways involved in the development of chronic disease, but it is unclear whether these effects translate into long-term changes in the risk of non-communicable diseases among older adults. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a disease profiling study using population-based data collected from persons followed prospectively for almost 50 years. Our analysis included mapping phenome-wide associations and conducting a biomarker expression analysis through a combination of multivariate and machine-learning regression techniques. The overall goal was to explore whether exposure to common vaccines was linked to long-term differences in health and disease among older adults. Our study results suggest individuals vaccinated against certain types of pathogens may have a lower risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It also showed generalized reduction in the risk of chronic disease. This work may lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving the development of non-communicable disease in later life and possibly identify new avenues of use for common vaccines.