Characteristics of antibody responses induced in mice by protein allergens

Whereas many foreign proteins are immunogenic, only a proportion is also allergenic, having the capacity to induce the quality of immune response necessary to support the production of IgE antibody. We have demonstrated previously that intraperitoneal administration to mice of proteins such as ovalbumin (OVA) or the industrial enzyme A. oryzae lipase, which possess significant allergenic potential, stimulates the production of both IgG and IgE antibody. Identical exposure to bovine serum albumin (BSA), a protein with limited potential to cause immediate respiratory or gastrointestinal hypersensitivity reactions, induced IgG responses only. In the current investigations, the quality of immune responses induced following exposure to these proteins via mucosal tissue (intranasal) has been compared with those provoked following administration via a non-mucosal (intraperitoneal) route of exposure. Intranasal or intraperitoneal administration of BSA, OVA or A. oryzae lipase elicited in each case vigorous IgG and IgG1 antibody responses. For all three proteins, at every concentration tested, and via both routes of exposure, IgG1 antibody titres paralleled closely IgG titres. However, the three materials displayed a differential potential to provoke IgE responses and this correlated with their known allergenic potential in humans. Thus, OVA and A. oryzae lipase stimulated strong IgE antibody responses, whereas BSA provoked low titre IgE only at the highest concentration tested (5% administered intraperitoneally). The quality of induced responses was not affected by the route of exposure. It would appear, therefore, that the stimulation of IgG and IgG1 antibody responses is a reflection of protein immunogenicity whereas protein allergenicity is associated with the induction of strong IgE responses.     

Engulfment of mast cell secretory granules on skin inflammation boosts dendritic cell migration and priming efficiency

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Induction of specific anti-actin antibodies and their measurement by ELISA technique.

Using the ELISA technique we have been able to quantify antibodies directed against actin and to follow the kinetics of antibody production. Specific anti-actin antisera have been raised in rabbits by immunization with chemically modified white muscle rabbit actin. Two or three dinitrophenyl groups linked per actin molecule were sufficient to break natural tolerance, while linkage of three phosphorylcholine groups to actin was not.     

PLGA为佐剂的OVA纳米疫苗皮下注射可预防小鼠过敏反应性气道炎症和调节Th1/Th2反应

目的 探讨聚乳酸.羟基乙酸共聚物[poly（D,L-lactic-co-glycolic）acid,PLGA]包裹的卵清蛋白（OVA）纳米癌苗（POM）对哮喘小鼠的免疫治疗效果.方法 包裹不同剂量（低、中、高）的OVA纳米粒子和对照（OVA、空白纳米粒子、PBS）通过皮下注射给予小鼠,再用OVA进行致敏和激发,通过肺组织学、支气管肺泡灌洗液（BALF）细胞计数、测定BALF和脾细胞培养上清液中细胞因子的含量,观察小鼠呼吸道炎症和免疫学改变.结果 肺部组织学和BALF中细胞计数结果显示,与PBS对照组相比,OVA治疗组、中剂量和高剂量OVA纳米组的肺部嗜酸性浸润显著减轻,BALF中总细胞和嗜酸性细胞显著减少.卸胞因子测定结果显示,与PBS对照组相比,中、高剂量OVA纳米组的BALF和脾细胞培养上清液中IFN-γ显著升高,Ⅱ,4水平显著降低.OVA治疗组中IL-4水平显著下降,而IFN-γ水平无显著差异.结论 OVA纳米疫苗可预防哮喘嗜酸性气道炎症,其可能的机制之一是调节了过敏性哮喘的Th1/Th2失平衡反应.     

Dual function of Langerhans cells in skin TSLP-promoted TFH differentiation in mouse atopic dermatitis

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PLGA为佐剂的OVA纳米疫苗皮下注射可预防小鼠过敏反应性气道炎症和调节Thl/Th2反应

目的 探讨聚乳酸.羟基乙酸共聚物[poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic)acid,PLGA]包裹的卵清蛋白(OVA)纳米癌苗(POM)对哮喘小鼠的免疫治疗效果.方法 包裹不同剂量(低、中、高)的OVA纳米粒子和对照(OVA、空白纳米粒子、PBS)通过皮下注射给予小鼠,再用OVA进行致敏和激发,通过肺组织学、支气管肺泡灌洗液(BALF)细胞计数、测定BALF和脾细胞培养上清液中细胞因子的含量,观察小鼠呼吸道炎症和免疫学改变.结果 肺部组织学和BALF中细胞计数结果显示,与PBS对照组相比,OVA治疗组、中剂量和高剂量OVA纳米组的肺部嗜酸性浸润显著减轻,BALF中总细胞和嗜酸性细胞显著减少.卸胞因子测定结果显示,与PBS对照组相比,中、高剂量OVA纳米组的BALF和脾细胞培养上清液中IFN-γ显著升高,Ⅱ,4水平显著降低.OVA治疗组中IL-4水平显著下降,而IFN-γ水平无显著差异.结论 OVA纳米疫苗可预防哮喘嗜酸性气道炎症,其可能的机制之一是调节了过敏性哮喘的Th1/Th2失平衡反应.     

Direct infant UV light exposure is associated with eczema and immune development

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Plasmodium falciparum synthetic LbL microparticle vaccine elicits protective neutralizing antibody and parasite-specific cellular immune responses

Epitopes of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein of Plasmodium falciparum, the most pathogenic species of the malaria parasite, have been shown to elicit protective immunity in experimental animals and human volunteers. The mechanisms of immunity include parasite-neutralizing antibodies that can inhibit parasite motility in the skin at the site of infection and in the bloodstream during transit to the hepatocyte host cell and also block interaction with host cell receptors on hepatocytes. In addition, specific CD4+ and CD8+ cellular mechanisms target the intracellular hepatic forms, thus preventing release of erythrocytic stage parasites from the infected hepatocyte and the ensuing blood stage cycle responsible for clinical disease. An innovative method for producing particle vaccines, layer-by-layer (LbL) fabrication of polypeptide films on solid CaCO₃ cores, was used to produce synthetic malaria vaccines containing a tri-epitope CS peptide T1BT* comprising the antibody epitope of the CS repeat region (B) and two T-cell epitopes, the highly conserved T1 epitope and the universal epitope T*. Mice immunized with microparticles loaded with T1BT* peptide developed parasite-neutralizing antibodies and malaria-specific T-cell responses including cytotoxic effector T-cells. Protection from liver stage infection following challenge with live sporozoites from infected mosquitoes correlated with neutralizing antibody levels. Although some immunized mice with low or undetectable neutralizing antibodies were also protected, depletion of T-cells prior to challenge resulted in the majority of mice remaining resistant to challenge. In addition, mice immunized with microparticles bearing only T-cell epitopes were not protected, demonstrating that cellular immunity alone was not sufficient for protective immunity. Although the microparticles without adjuvant were immunogenic and protective, a simple modification with the lipopeptide TLR2 agonist Pam₃Cys increased the potency and efficacy of the LbL vaccine candidate. This study demonstrates the potential of LbL particles as promising malaria vaccine candidates using the T1BT* epitopes from the P. falciparum CS protein.     

Protein-bound polysaccharide activates dendritic cells and enhances OVA-specific T cell response as vaccine adjuvant

Protein-bound polysaccharide-K (PSK) is a hot water extract from Trametes versicolor mushroom. It has been used traditionally in Asian countries for its immune stimulating and anti-cancer effects. We have recently found that PSK can activate Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). TLR2 is highly expressed on dendritic cells (DC), so the current study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of PSK on DC activation and the potential of using PSK as a vaccine adjuvant. In vitro experiments using mouse bone marrow-derived DC (BMDC) demonstrated that PSK induces DC maturation as shown by dose-dependent increase in the expression of CD80, CD86, MHCII, and CD40. PSK also induces the production of multiple inflammatory cytokines by DC, including IL-12, TNF-α, and IL-6, at both mRNA and protein levels. In vivo experiments using PSK as an adjuvant to OVAp323–339 vaccine showed that PSK as adjuvant leads to enlarged draining lymph nodes with higher number of activated DC. PSK also stimulates proliferation of OVA-specific T cells, and induces T cells that produce multiple cytokines, IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α. Altogether, these results demonstrate the ability of PSK to activate DC in vitro and in vivo and the potential of using PSK as a novel vaccine adjuvant.     

Immunosuppressive Activity of Florfenicol on the Immune Responses in Mice

Florfenicol is a new type of broad-spectrum antibacterial that has been used in veterinary clinics. It shows immunosuppressive activity on the immune responses to ovalbumin (OVA) in mice. In the present study, florfenicol suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated splenocyte proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro and in vivo. BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously with OVA on days 1 and 4. Following the second immunization, mice were treated with a single daily oral dose of florfenicol (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) for 10 consecutive days. On day 14, blood samples were collected to analyze OVA-specific IgG, IgG1, and IgG2b antibodies, and splenocytes were harvested to assess lymphocyte proliferation, CD3⁺ T and CD19⁺ B lymphocyte subsets. The results presented here demonstrate that florfenicol not only significantly suppressed Con A-, LPS- and OVA-induced splenocyte proliferation but also decreased the percentage of CD19⁺ B cells in a dose-dependent manner and suppressed CD3⁺ T cell at high doses. Moreover, OVA-specific IgG, IgG1 and IgG2b titers in OVA-immunized mice were reduced by florfenicol. These results suggest that florfenicol could suppress humoral and cellular immune responses in mice.