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Enhanced mucosal and systemic immune responses to Helicobacter pylori antigens through mucosal priming followed by systemic boosting immunizations.

It is estimated that Helicobacter pylori infects the stomachs of over 50% of the world's population and if not treated may cause chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric adenocarcinoma and gastric B-cell lymphoma. The aim of this study was to enhance the mucosal and systemic immune responses against the H. pylori antigens cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) and neutrophil-activating protein (NAP), through combinations of mucosal and systemic immunizations in female BALB/c mice. We found that oral or intranasal (i.n.) followed by i.m. immunizations induced significantly higher serum titres against NAP and CagA compared to i.n. alone, oral alone, i.m. alone, i.m. followed by i.n. or i.m. followed by oral immunizations. However, only oral followed by i.m. immunizations induced anti-NAP antibody-secreting cells in the stomach. Moreover, mucosal immunizations alone or in combination with i.m., but not i.m. immunizations alone, induced mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) responses in faeces. Any single route or combination of immunization routes with NAP and CagA preferentially induced antigen-specific splenic interleukin-4-secreting cells and far fewer interferon-gamma-secreting cells in the spleen. Moreover, i.n. immunizations alone or in combination with i.m. immunizations induced predominantly serum IgG1 and far less serum IgG2a. Importantly, we found that while both i.n. and i.m. recall immunizations induced similar levels of serum antibody responses, mucosal IgA responses in faeces were only achieved through i.n. recall immunization. Collectively, our data show that mucosal followed by systemic immunization significantly enhanced local and systemic immune responses and that i.n. recall immunization is required to induce both mucosal and systemic memory type responses.

Administration, Oral↗

Cell-mediated and humoral immune responses in immunized and/or Dermatobia hominis infested rabbits.

The cell-mediated and humoral immune response of rabbits to antigens from larvae of Dermatobia hominis were analyzed by leucocyte migration inhibition factor assay (MIF), immunodiffusion (ID) and passive hemagglutination (PH) test in rabbits immunized with D. hominis extract, in rabbits immunized and infested with the parasite and rabbits infested with D. hominis. Twenty rabbits were divided into five groups: Group 1, rabbits immunized with a crude antigen extract, evaluated for 40 weeks at 4 week intervals; Group 2, rabbits immunized and infested with newly hatched larvae at 14 weeks post immunization (PI) and evaluated as Group 1; Group 3, rabbits immunized, evaluated for 28 weeks at 2 week intervals; Group 4, rabbits immunized and infested at 4 weeks PI and evaluated as Group 3; Group 5, rabbits infested and evaluated for 24 weeks at 2 week intervals. Different patterns of reactivity were observed in the infested and immunized animals: immunized rabbits developed antibodies and cellular immune responses earlier and at higher levels during immunization than the infested rabbits; the infestation at 14 weeks PI, when the cell-mediated and humoral immune response began to decrease, or at 4 weeks PI when these parameters were at higher levels, elicited an anamnestic response. After the spontaneous elimination of larvae by the host, from the 4th week PI onwards, high titers of antibodies and migration inhibition indices were maintained for a long period. These results suggest that the onset of cellular and humoral immune responses after immunization may be important as a biological control of myiasis and contribute to better understanding of the immune defense mechanism of the host against D. hominis.

Animals↗

Cells involved in the immune response. XXXVII. Antigen-specific suppressor cells, capable of secreting an antigen-specific suppressor factor, migrate from the thymus to the spleen following primary immunization.

The splenic mononuclear cells (MNC) of rabbits 7-14 and 30-48 days following primary intravenous immunization with sheep erythrocytes generated large numbers of antibody-secreting or plaque-forming cells (PFC) in secondary immune responses induced in vitro, whereas the splenic MNC obtained from rabbits 18-30 days following primary intravenous immunization generated poor secondary immune responses (few PFC) in vitro. However, these latter splenic MNC depleted of T cells consistently generated many PFC in the secondary immune response in vitro. Furthermore, the splenic MNC of rabbits thymectomized prior to day 3 following primary intravenous immunization also generated good secondary immune responses in vitro, irrespective of the time of killing post-immunization, whereas the splenic MNC of rabbits thymectomized after day 7 following primary immunization generated poor secondary immune responses in vitro. These results indicate that the depressed ability of the splenic MNC, obtained from rabbits killed between days 18 and 30 post-primary immunization, to generate significant secondary immune responses in vitro is due to suppressor T cells. The suppressor cells are referred to as immune spleen suppressor cells or ISSC. It was demonstrated that the suppression by the ISSC is antigen-specific and that the ISSC secrete an antigen-specific suppressor factor referred to as immune spleen suppressor factor or ISSF. It is concluded that the ISSC are generated in the thymus within a few days following primary immunization, that they migrate to and infiltrate the spleen between days 3 and 7 following primary immunization, and that they suppress or down-regulate further antibody synthesis via the secretion, locally of ISSF.

Animals↗

Prior immunity to homologous and heterologous Salmonella serotypes suppresses local and systemic anti-fragment C antibody responses and protection from tetanus toxin in mice immunized with Salmonella strains expressing fragment C.

We have investigated the effect of preexisting immunity to homologous (Salmonella typhimurium) or heterologous (S. dublin) serotypes of Salmonella on the ability of an attenuated S. typhimurium aroA aroD vector (BRD509) to immunize mice against the heterologous antigen fragment C (FrgC). We studied two strains, BRD847 and BRD937, expressing FrgC carried on plasmids that differ only with respect to the promoter controlling FrgC expression, the nirB promoter in the case of BRD847 and the htrA promoter in the case of BRD937. Mice were preimmunized orally with S. typhimurium BRD509, S. dublin aroA aroD (BRD620), or saline. Forty-four days later, they were immunized orally with BRD847 or BRD937. Prior immunity to S. typhimurium severely depressed the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA anti-FrgC response in both BRD847- and BRD937-immunized mice. Mice with existing immunity to S. dublin also had lower IgG anti-FrgC geometric mean titers (GMTs) than did mice preimmunized with saline, but this difference was significant only in the case of mice immunized with BRD937. However, in nonimmune mice or in mice preimmunized with S. typhimurium or S. dublin, the anti-FrgC IgG GMTs were always higher in mice in the BRD937 groups than in the equivalent BRD847 groups. This is reflected in the effect of prior immunity on the ability of oral immunization with BRD847 or BRD937 to protect mice from challenge with a lethal dose of tetanus toxin. All of the mice preimmunized with saline and then immunized with BRD847 or BRD937 survived challenge. Only 20% of the animals immunized with BRD847 and 60% of the mice in the BRD937 group survived tetanus toxin challenge if they were preimmunized with BRD509. Preexisting immunity to S. dublin did not affect the ability of BRD937 to immunize mice against tetanus, but it did reduce the efficiency of BRD847: only 60% percent of the mice survived challenge. The intestinal secretory IgA responses to FrgC were very similar in the BRD847 and BRD937 groups. Prior immunity did depress the IgA anti-FrgC titers but only significantly so in the mice preimmunized with BRD509. These results show that preexisting Salmonella immunity, particularly to homologous serotypes, can severely compromise the ability of live Salmonella vectors to deliver heterologous antigens to the mammalian immune system. However, the results also indicate that this may be overcome by the design of more powerful in vivo expression systems.

Animals↗

The impact of a simulated immunization registry on perceived childhood immunization status.

We developed a simulated immunization registry to assess the impact on the perceived immunization status in a population-based sample of 2-year-olds living in Olmsted County, MN, in 1995. We compiled records of all immunizations by abstracting immunization data from all medical care facilities in the county. The data collected from each facility were analyzed separately to provide the immunization rate as perceived by each facility. This perceived rate was compared to the rate obtained by combining all recorded immunizations from all facilities (simulated registry). Information on children not receiving any carefrom facilities in Olmsted County was compiled from birth certificate data and community school lists. Data from the simulated registry indicated that 69.1% of all children in Olmsted County with medical records were up-to-date on their immunizations by 20 months of age. By 24 months, this increased to 74.2%. The immunization rate of 24-month-old children recorded at individual healthcare facilities in Olmsted County ranged from 24.3% to 79.5%. The addition of data from the simulated registry increased the immunization rate at each site: a 27.7% relative increase in the site with the lowest recorded immunization rate, a 14.0% increase in the site with the intermediate immunization rate, and a 6.9% increase in the site with the highest internally perceived immunization rate. The registry also identified excess immunizations in 5% of the county's 2-year-olds. Each healthcare facility in this community gained an immediate benefit from the development of a simulated immunization registry. This immediate improvement in one quality-of-care measure (up-to-date immunization rate) should be factored into the cost/benefit assessment of immunization registries.

Birth Certificates↗

Defence mechanisms and immune evasion in the interplay between the humane immune system and Plasmodium falciparum.

Immunity to P. falciparum malaria is developed as a result of long term exposure to the parasite and depends on immunological memory. The key directors in immune recognition and regulation of the immunological responses are the T-cells. It seems reasonable to propose that immunity is acquired when a critical mass of T-cells, recognizing relevant malaria antigens, has been developed. These T-cells mediate immunity by regulating macrophage and B-cell activity, but they may also act directly as cytotoxic cells on infected hepatocytes and through production of parasite-toxic cytokines. The potential immune effector mechanisms against P. falciparum are many. The relative importance of each in protection is unknown and protection seems to be mediated through different mechanisms according to the degree of exposure to malaria and the pattern of malaria transmission. Since immunity to malaria is not an absolute phenomenon, many effector mechanisms are probably working together in (partially) protected individuals. Immunity to P. falciparum is acquired after years of exposure to the parasite and several disease episodes. The protracted course to clinical immunity indicates that the parasite interfere with development of immunity. Several mechanisms seem to be operating. 1) Induction of the immune response to some macromolecules is avoided because the parasites are living inside host cells during part of their life cycle, and the reaction to other molecules is apparently avoided by mimicry of host molecules. 2) Immune recognition is hampered by the extraordinary diversity of antigen phenotypes in the parasite population. 3) Immune regulation is obstructed by immune suppression. During P. falciparum malaria such suppression is characterized by a profoundly diminished in vitro proliferative response to malaria antigens, which probably is precipitated by defects in the early events of T-cell activation and inhibition of IL-2 function elucidated, but soluble factors secreted either by the parasites, or by host cells as a result of exposure to the parasite, seem to be involved. 4) Immune effector mechanisms in the liver and the spleen are avoided by sequestration of the mature parasites to the vascular endothelium. The interplay between the human defence system and the malaria parasite governs the symptomatology, the pathology and the development of immunity to the disease. These interactions are extremely complex, and only partly understood. Figure 1 summarizes my view on how these interactions could explain the characteristics of acquired immunity to P. falciparum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Selective localization of tumor-immune spleen cells at the tumor challenge site after adoptive transfer of line 10 tumor immunity in strain 2 guinea pigs.

In this study, the distribution of immune spleen cells was investigated after adoptive transfer of immunity in inbred strain 2 guinea pigs. Spleen cells obtained from line 10 immune donor animals became specifically restimulated in vitro with 3 M KCl-extracted line 10 soluble proteins, but not with 3 M KCl-extracted line 1 or liver proteins. After 4 days culture in vitro, these specifically restimulated immune spleen cells retained their antitumor activity in vivo after adoptive transfer. The specifically restimulated immune spleen cells were radiolabeled with [3H]thymidine, 1 X 10(8) viable cells were adoptively transferred in tumor-bearing guinea pigs, and their distribution was investigated. As controls for the specific localization of the immune cells at the line 10 tumor, the presence of labeled cells was studied in the contralateral transplanted line 1 hepatoma as well as in cellular inflammatory reactions elicited by injection with incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). A significantly higher localization of the labeled immune spleen cells in the line 10 tumor and the first and second draining lymph nodes of the line 10 challenge site were found when compared to the influx of these cells in the line 1 tumor and the nontumor antigen-related inflammatory reactions. Because our immune donor animals were immunized with a mixture of line 10 cells and BCG, these animals are immune to both. Line 10 immune spleen cells were restimulated in vitro with PPD and were radiolabeled. These PPD-restimulated immune spleen cells showed no preferential localization at the line 10 tumor challenge site but, as expected, a tendency for localization at the CFA (H37Ra) injection site. Furthermore, PPD-reactive spleen cells from BCG-immunized guinea pigs showed a significantly higher accumulation at the CFA injection site compared to the IFA injection site and the line 10 and line 1 tumor challenge site. From the results, it is concluded that line 10 tumor-immune and BCG-immune spleen cells are two distinct cell populations, and that the existence of cross-reacting antigens between BCG and the line 10 hepatocarcinoma are of no importance for the rejection of the line 10 tumor by immune spleen cells.

Animals↗

Determinants of immunity to murine salmonellosis: studies involving immunization with lipopolysaccharide-lipid A-associated protein complexes in C3H/HeJ mice.

We have earlier demonstrated that the C3H/HeJ Salmonella hypersusceptible mouse can be protected against infection with this organism by prior immunization with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-lipid A-associated protein (LAP) complexes, but not with LPS alone. In the current studies, protection has been shown to correlate with the induction of LPS-specific antibody in immunized mice. LPS was demonstrated to be a relevant target antigen for Salmonella immunity since C3H/HeJ mice were afforded higher survival rates when they were challenged with Salmonella that shared the same LPS O-antigen as the vaccine. Although low levels of LPS-specific antibody can be detected 14 days after immunization with LAP-LPS, significant antibody is present only after 21-28 days. In addition, anti-LAP specific antibodies can be detected after 14 days of immunization with LAP-LPS. Adoptive transfer of either day 28 anti-LAP-LPS immune serum or day 28 LAP-LPS immune splenocytes alone to naive recipients affords mice minimal, if any, survival against lethal S. typhimurium LT2 challenge. In contrast, transfer of day 28 anti-LAP-LPS immune serum and day 28 LAP-LPS immune splenocytes together is able to transfer Salmonella immunity to naive C3H/HeJ mice. Further, equivalent transfer of only day 28 anti-LAP-LPS immune serum to C3H/HeJ mice immunized 7 days previously with LAP-LPS provides protection similar to that found in mice adoptively transferred with immune cells and serum. These results suggest that a host cellular factor or factors responsive to LAP-LPS, in addition to day 28 anti-LAP-LPS immune serum, may contribute to the protection afforded C3H/HeJ mice following immunization with LAP-LPS.

Animals↗