Long-term persistence and recall of immune responses in aged mice after mucosal immunization.

To evaluate the retention of memory in the mucosal immune system of aged animals, 2-year-old mice that had been immunized intragastrically at 3 months of age with Streptococcus mutans protein AgI/II coupled to the B subunit of cholera toxin (CTB) were evaluated by ELISA for antibodies to AgI/II and CT in serum, saliva, and vaginal wash. To evaluate recall responses, mice were then immunized intragastrically with AgI/II-CTB, in comparison with previously unimmunized controls. Those that had been primed in their youth showed a more rapid antibody response in serum (immunoglobulin G (IgG)) and secretions (IgA), but all animals eventually responded to a similar degree after the third dose. Mice immunized at 3 months also retained for 2 years spleen cells capable of proliferating in vitro in response to AgI/II. These data show that aged mice retain the ability to mount immune responses to mucosally presented immunogens and that memory to mucosally presented immunogens can persist for almost the whole lifetime of a mouse.

[1]  M. Russell,et al.  Generation of Female Genital Tract Antibody Responses by Local or Central (Common) Mucosal Immunization , 2000, Infection and Immunity.

[2]  C. Franceschi,et al.  Human immunosenescence: the prevailing of innate immunity, the failing of clonotypic immunity, and the filling of immunological space. , 2000, Vaccine.

[3]  S. Michalek,et al.  Secretory Immunity in Defense against Cariogenic Mutans Streptococci , 1998, Caries Research.

[4]  S. Strobel,et al.  Immune responses to dietary antigens: oral tolerance. , 1998, Immunology today.

[5]  S. Michalek,et al.  Comparison of an Adherence Domain and a Structural Region ofStreptococcus mutans Antigen I/II in Protective Immunity against Dental Caries in Rats after Intranasal Immunization , 1998, Infection and Immunity.

[6]  M. Russell,et al.  Nasal Lymphoid Tissue (NALT) as a Mucosal Immune Inductive Site , 1997, Scandinavian journal of immunology.

[7]  H. Marcotte,et al.  Comparison of the indigenous oral microbiota and immunoglobulin responses of athymic (nu/nu) and euthymic (nu/+) mice. , 1997, Oral microbiology and immunology.

[8]  P. Marsh,et al.  Age-related changes in salivary antibodies to commensal oral and gut biota. , 1997, Oral microbiology and immunology.

[9]  J. Eldridge,et al.  Development of antibody-secreting cells and antigen-specific T cells in cervical lymph nodes after intranasal immunization , 1997, Infection and immunity.

[10]  H. Jenkinson,et al.  Structure, function and immunogenicity of streptococcal antigen I/II polypeptides , 1997, Molecular microbiology.

[11]  M. Russell,et al.  Induction of antibody‐secreting cells and T‐helper and memory cells in murine nasal lymphoid tissue , 1996, Immunology.

[12]  S. Michalek,et al.  Salivary, nasal, genital, and systemic antibody responses in monkeys immunized intranasally with a bacterial protein antigen and the Cholera toxin B subunit , 1996, Infection and immunity.

[13]  S. Michalek,et al.  Persistence of serum and salivary antibody responses after oral immunization with a bacterial protein antigen genetically linked to the A2/B subunits of cholera toxin , 1996, Infection and immunity.

[14]  M. Russell,et al.  Mucosal immunization with a bacterial protein antigen genetically coupled to cholera toxin A2/B subunits. , 1995, Journal of immunology.

[15]  M. Russell,et al.  Induction of mucosal immunity by intranasal application of a streptococcal surface protein antigen with the cholera toxin B subunit , 1993, Infection and immunity.

[16]  G. Cutter,et al.  Initial Acquisition of Mutans Streptococci by Infants: Evidence for a Discrete Window of Infectivity , 1993, Journal of dental research.

[17]  C. Franceschi,et al.  Changes in circuIating B cells and immunoglobulin cIasses and subcIasses in a healthy aged popuIation , 1992, Clinical and experimental immunology.

[18]  J. Barton,et al.  Immunosenescence and mucosal immunity: significant effects of old age on secretory IgA concentrations and intraepithelial lymphocyte counts. , 1992, Gut.

[19]  H. Kawanishi,et al.  Correction of antigen‐specific T cell defects in aged murine gut‐associated lymphoid tissues an immune intervention by combined adoptive transfer of an antigen‐specific immunoregulatory CD4 T cell subset and interleukin 2 administration , 1991, European journal of immunology.

[20]  M. Russell,et al.  Distribution, persistence, and recall of serum and salivary antibody responses to peroral immunization with protein antigen I/II of Streptococcus mutans coupled to the cholera toxin B subunit , 1991, Infection and immunity.

[21]  L. Gahring,et al.  The effect of aging on the induction of humoral and cellular immunity and tolerance in two long-lived mouse strains. , 1990, Cellular immunology.

[22]  G. Quinnan,,et al.  Secretory immunoglobulin A antibody response is conserved in aged mice following oral immunization with influenza virus vaccine. , 1989, The Journal of general virology.

[23]  C. Czerkinsky,et al.  Oral administration of a streptococcal antigen coupled to cholera toxin B subunit evokes strong antibody responses in salivary glands and extramucosal tissues , 1989, Infection and immunity.

[24]  J. Holmgren,et al.  Long‐Term Cholera Antitoxin Memory in the Gut can be Triggered to Antibody Formation Associated with Protection within Hours of an Oral Challenge Immunization , 1987, Scandinavian journal of immunology.

[25]  J. Holmgren,et al.  Intestinal Mucosal Memory and Presence of Memory Cells in Lamina Propria and Peyer's Patches in Mice 2 Years after Oral Immunization with Cholera Toxin , 1986, Scandinavian journal of immunology.

[26]  C. Daniels,et al.  Aging, Gastrointestinal Infections, and Mucosal Immunity , 1986, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[27]  É. Puskás,et al.  Antibody and immunoglobulin levels in aged humans. , 1984, Archives of gerontology and geriatrics.

[28]  J. Ebersole,et al.  Local and systemic immune response in aged hamsters. , 1983, Immunology.

[29]  T. Yoshikawa.  Geriatric Infectious Diseases , 1983, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[30]  J. Nagel,et al.  Enumeration of T lymphocyte subsets by monoclonal antibodies in young and aged humans. , 1981, Journal of immunology.

[31]  T. Lehner,et al.  Protein antigens of Streptococcus mutans: purification and properties of a double antigen and its protease-resistant component , 1980, Infection and immunity.

[32]  M. Kuroki,et al.  Age-related changes in the subsets and functions of human T lymphocytes. , 1978, Journal of immunology.

[33]  J. Mcghee,et al.  Selective induction of an immune response in human external secretions by ingestion of bacterial antigen. , 1978, The Journal of clinical investigation.