Modulation of systemic and mucosal immune responses to inhaled ragweed antigen in experimentally induced infection with respiratory syncytial virus implication in virally induced allergy

Groups of BALB/c mice were either sham-infected or infected intranasally with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). On the third day following intranasal inoculation, all groups of mice were exposed by inhalation to ragweed antigen for 5 consecutive days and rechallenged with ragweed on day 31. Development of antibody activity to ragweed antigen was examined in serum and bronchial washings at regular intervals employing an ELISA assay for IgG and IgA antibody activity and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis for IgE-specific responses. The serum IgG and IgE antibody response to ragweed following primary exposure developed at significantly higher levels in mice previously infected with RSV, compared to sham-infected controls. In addition, an earlier rise in serum IgE response to ragweed occurred in the RSV-infected animals. IgG and IgA anti-ragweed antibody activity in bronchial washings was also observed with significantly higher levels in the RSV-infected animals when compared to the controls, although a similar increase in antigen-specific IgE activity in bronchial washings was found in both groups of animals. These findings support the possibility that mucosally restricted virus infections of the respiratory tract may enhance the development of sensitization and the magnitude of antibody responses to other inhaled allergens found concomitantly in the respiratory tract during acute infection.     

Pulmonary response to inhaled antigen: neuroimmune interactions promote the recruitment of dendritic cells to the lung and the cellular immune response to inhaled antigen.

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a critical role in capturing and presenting inhaled antigens to T lymphocytes. We report that pulmonary DCs in the Lewis rat are normally located in the lung in immediate proximity to nerve fibers that contain immunoreactive substance P (SP). Functionally, pulmonary DCs bound 125I-SP and displayed increased motility in vitro in response to graded concentrations of SP. However, SP had no effect on the accessory cell activities of DCs. To examine the role of neural influences on the pulmonary immune response to inhaled antigen, Lewis rats were pretreated with capsaicin (CAP), which damages small nerves and depletes neuropeptide stores, and then challenged intratracheally (i.t.) with hen egg lysozyme (HEL). The number and antigen-presenting cell activities of pulmonary DCs in the CAP-treated rats were comparable to those of controls up to day 14. T lymphocytes harvested from the regional lymph nodes draining the lung were effectively sensitized to HEL in both groups. However, when CAP-treated rats sensitized to HEL i.t. at day 0 were rechallenged with HEL i.t. at day 14, the lungs showed decreased numbers of OX-6+ DCs and diminished pulmonary lymphoid infiltrates compared with controls. We suggest that CAP interferes with a neural-mediated response that contributes to the accumulation of inflammatory cells during the efferent limb of the pulmonary-cell-mediated immune response in vivo.     

Influence of the early-life gut microbiota on the immune responses to an inhaled allergen

Antibiotics, among the most used medications in children, affect gut microbiome communities and metabolic functions. These changes in microbiota structure can impact host immunity. We hypothesized that early-life microbiome alterations would lead to increased susceptibility to allergy and asthma. To test this, mouse pups between postnatal days 5–9 were orally exposed to water (control) or to therapeutic doses of azithromycin or amoxicillin. Later in life, these mice were sensitized and challenged with a model allergen, house dust mite (HDM), or saline. Mice with early-life azithromycin exposure that were challenged with HDM had increased IgE and IL-13 production by CD4⁺ T cells compared to unexposed mice; early-life amoxicillin exposure led to fewer abnormalities. To test that the microbiota contained the immunological cues to alter IgE and cytokine production after HDM challenge, germ-free mice were gavaged with fecal samples of the antibiotic-perturbed microbiota. Gavage of adult germ-free mice did not result in altered HDM responses, however, their offspring, which acquired the antibiotic-perturbed microbiota at birth showed elevated IgE levels and CD4⁺ cytokines in response to HDM, and altered airway reactivity. These studies indicate that early-life microbiota composition can heighten allergen-driven Th2/Th17 immune pathways and airway responses in an age-dependent manner.     

In vivo studies of monoclonal anti-D and the mechanism of immune suppression.

Administration of anti-D immunoglobulin to D- women after delivery of a D+ infant has dramatically reduced the number of immunised women and cases of haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. The use of monoclonal anti-D might alleviate some of the pressures on maintaining adequate supplies of plasma sourced anti-D. Two human monoclonal antibodies, BRAD-3 (IgG1) and BRAD-5 (IgG3), with proven activity in in vitro functional (immunological) assays with cells bearing IgG Fc receptors (Fc gamma R) were selected for clinical studies. They were prepared by purification of IgG secreted by culture of the Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cell lines in hollow fibre bioreactors. The clearance of D+ red cells injected into D- subjects was accelerated by prior injection of the monoclonal antibodies, both individually and blended (3:1, BRAD-5: BRAD-3). The subjects were protected from Rh D immunisation. A large multicentre study evaluated the BRAD-3/5 blend for its ability to prevent Rh D immunisation in 95 D- subjects given 400 micrograms i.m. 24 hours after injection of 5 ml D+ red cells. Challenge injections of D+ red cells alone were given 24 and 36 weeks later, and blood samples were taken every 4 weeks from the subjects throughout the study for detection of anti-D responses. There was one definite and one possible failure of protection; in one subject the plasma anti-D level rose from week 12 onwards, and in another individual rapid seroconversion was observed at week 28. Considering the relatively large dose of red cells and the number of subjects studied, it was concluded that the failure rate was much lower than in routine Rh D prophylaxis. The responder rate was 13% by week 36 and 24% by week 48. The low percentage of responders and the modest levels of endogenous anti-D produced suggested that administration of monoclonal anti-D had induced long-term specific suppression of anti-D responses in these subjects. The most likely mechanism of action was considered to be inhibition of B cells resulting from co-crosslinking antigen receptors with inhibitory Fc gamma R when the B cells contacted red cells that had bound passive anti-D.     

Measles virus-induced suppression of immune responses

Summary: Measles is an important cause of child mortality that has a seemingly paradoxical interaction with the immune system. In most individuals, the immune response is successful in eventually clearing measles virus (MV) infection and in establishing life-long immunity. However, infection is also associated with persistence of viral RNA and several weeks of immune suppression, including loss of delayed type hypersensitivity responses and increased susceptibility to secondary infections. The initial T-cell response includes CD8⁺ and T-helper 1 CD4⁺ T cells important for control of infectious virus. As viral RNA persists, there is a shift to a T-helper 2 CD4⁺ T-cell response that likely promotes B-cell maturation and durable antibody responses but may suppress macrophage activation and T-helper 1 responses to new infections. Suppression of mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation can be induced by lymphocyte infection with MV or by lymphocyte exposure to a complex of the hemagglutinin and fusion surface glycoproteins without infection. Dendritic cells (DCs) are susceptible to infection and can transmit infection to lymphocytes. MV-infected DCs are unable to stimulate a mixed lymphocyte reaction and can induce lymphocyte unresponsiveness through expression of MV glycoproteins. Thus, multiple factors may contribute both to measles-induced immune suppression and to the establishment of durable protective immunity.     

Enhancing immune responses by targeting antigen to DC

mAb that recognise various cell surface receptors have been used to deliver antigen to DC and thereby elicit immune responses. The encouraging data obtained in mouse models suggests that this immunisation strategy is efficient and could lead to clinical trials. We discuss a number of issues pertinent to this vaccination approach. These include which molecules are the best targets for delivering antigen to DC, which DC subtypes should be targeted, the types of immune responses to be generated and whether additional adjuvants are required. Finally, we discuss some progress towards targeting antigen to human DC.     

双阴性调节性T细胞在免疫抑制中的作用及其机制

αβTCR+CD3+CD4-CD8-双阴性调节性T细胞(DN Treg细胞）被证实具有通过对效应性T细胞的直接杀伤作用从而抑制免疫应答的能力。DN Treg细胞与特异性抗原接触后增加其调节活性,该过程部分通过其对抗原呈递细胞表面MHC抗原肽复合物的识别作用介导。DN Treg细胞与靶细胞接触后可通过Fas和Fas配体之间的交互作用介导其杀伤效应。对DN Treg细胞功能特性、分子表达方式及其激活机制的深入研究将有助于探索临床新的治疗手段。     

MD-2-dependent pulmonary immune responses to inhaled lipooligosaccharides: effect of acylation state

Endotoxins represent one of the most potent classes of microbial immunoactive components that can cause pulmonary inflammation. The aim of this study was to compare the inflammatory potency of two types of Neisseria meningitidis endotoxins (lipooligosaccharides) in lungs: wild type (hexaacylated, LOS(wt)) and mutant type (pentaacylated, LOS(msbB)), and to determine the importance of MD-2 in endotoxin responses in lungs in vivo. Endotoxin-normoresponsive mice (BALB/c) were exposed to selected doses of penta- and hexaacylated lipooligosaccharides (LOS) by nasal aspiration. Cellular and cytokine/chemokine inflammatory responses in bronchoalveolar lavage were measured at 1-, 4-, 8-, 16-, 24-, and 48-hour time points. MD-2-null mice were exposed to one dose of hexaacylated LOS and inflammatory responses were measured after 4 and 24 hours. Inhalation of hexaacylated LOS resulted in strong inflammatory responses, while pentaacylated LOS was much less potent in inducing increases of neutrophils, TNF-alpha, macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha, IL-6, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and IL-1 beta concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage. Similar kinetics of inflammatory responses in lungs were found in both types of endotoxin exposures. Inhalation of hexaacylated LOS in MD-2-null mice resulted in significantly lower numbers of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage than in normoresponsive mice. Markedly lower inflammatory potency of pentaacylated LOS was observed compared with hexaacylated LOS. Hyporesponsiveness in MD-2-null mice after nasal aspiration of wild-type LOS indicate its essential role in airway responsiveness to endotoxin.     

Do immune responses to inhaled skin flakes modulate the expression of allergic disease?

We examine the nature of the immune responses to inhaled skin particles and query whether early exposure could play a role in providing protection against the development of allergic disease. Currently, the main hypothesis used to explain environmental modulation of allergic diseases, the 'hygiene hypothesis', is linked exclusively to microbial exposures acting upon the innate immune system. However, many of the exposures sustaining this hypothesis also involve co-exposure to skin flakes from humans or animals. Such skin flakes contain a complex mixture of antigens, glycolipids and small peptides that may induce immune responses. Should these responses prove relevant to the modulation of allergic diseases, it provides new opportunities to better understand the epidemic of allergic disease and to develop new interventions for its prevention.     

CCL20对HBV基因疫苗的免疫增强作用

CCL20为CC家族的趋化因子,对未成熟DC和T细胞具有较强的正向趋化作用。HBsAg是乙肝病毒中具有保护作用的结构抗原。以HBsAg为目的抗原进行基因免疫可诱导HBV特异性免疫应答。为进一步增强基因疫苗的免疫效果,研究中,应用基因重组技术,构建CCL20和HBsAg的真核表达载体,将重组体用肌肉注射方式免疫C57BL/6小鼠,通过ELISA方法检测C57BL/6小鼠的抗-HBs抗体水平、淋巴细胞增殖试验检测抗原特异性Th活性、FACS检测CTL效应。结果显示,用CCL20/HBsAg真核表达质粒共注射免疫后,100%小鼠能在第4、6周检测到抗-HBs抗体,CCL20可显著增强HBsAg基因疫苗诱导的体液免疫应答;Th活性和CTL效应检测也显示,CCL20增强了HBsAg诱导的特异性细胞免疫反应。这将为新型乙肝疫苗的分子设计和研制提供新的理论与实践依据。     

Inhibition of specific IgE responses in mice by pre-exposure to inhaled antigen.

Exposure of mice to aerosolized ovalbumin (OA) once weekly for 5 min, or once weekly to 10 microgram OA in PBS intranasally, elicited transient IgE responses which declined by the seventh week. When these animals were challenged intraperitoneally (i.p.) with soluble or alum-precipitated OA, their subsequent IgE responses were markedly suppressed relative to controls. In contrast, i.p. challenge provoked hemaagglutinating antibody (HA) responses to OA in the same animals which were considerably more vigorous than in controls. Adoptive transfer experiments employing splenocytes from mice repeatedly exposed to OA via the respiratory tract revealed the presence of suppressor cells active against OA-specific IgE but not HA responses. Radiotracer studies employing 125I-OA, administered intranasally and by aerosol, indicated that much of the antigen rapidly became associated with the gut.     

Human leukocyte antigen polymorphisms: variable humoral immune responses to viral vaccines

Antibody formation in response to antigen stimulation remains the basis for measuring an individual's response and protection for most viral vaccines. A significant proportion of the variation in individual humoral immune response to vaccination appears to be genetic. The collection of genes found on chromosome 6 forming the human leukocyte antigen system provides one of the greatest sources of genetic variation in individuals with respect to their immunological responses. Recent research has demonstrated significant associations between vaccine response and human leukocyte antigen alleles. These associations not only explain why vaccine-induced humoral immune responses vary among individuals and between populations, but these variations may also hold the key to the development of future generations of vaccines.     

Characterization of immune suppression induced by polyribonucleotides

Synthetic polyribonucleotide complexes, which have been shown to be potent adjuvants to the immune response of animals and humans were tested for their capacity to activate cells involved in suppressing antibody synthesis. Poly A:poly U and poly I:poly C inhibited murine antibody forming spleen cells when given 1-6 days before antigenic stimulus. To determine the cellular and molecular mediators of this suppression, individual cell populations were isolated or deleted and the resulting cell populations tested for induction of suppression. When the natural killer (NK) cell population was rendered non-functional with anti-asialo GM1 antiserum no diminution in suppressive activity was observed. Further experiments implicated adherent cells as the population responsible for mediating suppression. Supernatants from poly A:poly U-treated adherent cells were found both to contain increased levels of prostaglandin E (PGE) and to induce a significant decrease in antibody production when added to in vitro spleen cell cultures. In addition, indomethacin, an inhibitor of the cyclo-oxygenase pathway of the arachidonic acid cascade was found to reverse the suppression of antibody induced by poly A:poly U. Thus, the polyribonucleotide complexes appear to suppress antibody synthesis by inducing macrophages to secrete PGE, a known immune suppressant.     

Regulation of cellular antibody synthesis: Selective suppression by antibody of the immune response induced by a high antigen dose

Mice immunized with a high dose of sheep red blood cells and 24–48 hours later given specific antiserum produced on the average only 1 per cent of the direct and indirect number of plaque-forming cells (PFC) found in the non-antibody treated controls, whereas animals given a low antigen dose followed by antiserum produced 30 per cent of the number of PFC found in the controls. It is suggested that the low antigen dose preferentially stimulated antigen-sensitive cells having a receptor for the antigen of high affinity, whereas the high antigen dose in addition stimulated cells having lower affinity receptors and that, therefore, the passively transferred antibody would compete more efficiently for the antigen with the antigen-sensitive cells triggered by a high antigen dose than with the higher affinity cells stimulated by a low antigen dose.

When antigen and antibody were introduced simultaneously the selective suppression of the immune response to a high antigen dose did not occur. Possible mechanisms for this finding are discussed.

     

Suppression of immune response to Listeria monocytogenes: mechanism(s) of immune complex suppression.

We have investigated possible mechanisms underlying immune complex suppression of resistance to Listeria monocytogenes. Inhibition of resistance was found when immune complexes were formed in vivo in immune mice or in nonimmune mice adoptively transferred with specific antibody. Suppression was also found when nonimmune mice were injected with immune complexes preformed in vitro. We investigated the role of complement by decomplementing mice with cobra venom factor purified by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Complete depletion of serum C3 did not eliminate immune complex suppression of resistance to L. monocytogenes, suggesting that complement activation is not required for immune complex suppression. Infection-induced changes in the surface phenotype and functional properties of macrophages from normal and immune complex-suppressed mice were also investigated. Macrophage expression of both H-2K and Ia molecules increased during the response of normal mice to L. monocytogenes. However, these changes were not found in immune complex-suppressed mice. In contrast, membrane interleukin 1 expression was increased in macrophages from suppressed mice compared with macrophages from normal mice. Macrophages from L. monocytogenes-infected normal and immune complex-suppressed mice expressed cytotoxicity against tumor cells in vitro. We conclude that immune complexes do not inhibit resistance to L. monocytogenes by activation of complement or decreasing macrophage cytotoxic activity. Rather, defects in Ia expression by macrophages from suppressed mice might be one component responsible for immune complex suppression of resistance to L. monocytogenes.     

Mechanism of measles virus-induced suppression of inflammatory immune responses

Measles virus (MV) causes profound immunosuppression, resulting in high infant mortality. The mechanisms are poorly understood, largely due to the lack of a suitable animal model. Here, we report that particular MV proteins, in the absence of MV replication, could generate a systemic immunosuppression in mice through two pathways: (1) via MV-nucleoprotein and its receptor FcgammaR on dendritic cells; and (2) via virus envelope glycoproteins and the MV-hemagglutinin cellular receptor, CD46. The effects comprise reduced hypersensitivity responses associated with impaired function of dendritic cells, decreased production of IL-12, and the loss of antigen-specific T cell proliferation. These results introduce a novel model for testing the immunosuppressive potential of anti-measles vaccines and reveal a specific mechanism of MV-induced modulation of inflammatory reactions.