Long-lived protective immunity to Listeria is conferred by immunization with particulate or soluble listerial antigen preparations coadministered with IL-12.
The ability of IL-12 to promote the development of Th1-type immune responses, and thus promote cellular immunity, has been well documented. In a previous report, we showed that coadministration of IL-12 with heat-killed Listeria monocytogenes elicited intense antigen-specific T cell responses that conferred protective listerial immunity. Herein, we have extended those studies by demonstrating that multiple injections of heat-killed L. monocytogenes and IL-12 elicit memory responses that confer long-lived (> or = 3 months) protective immunity and that immunity can be transferred adoptively with cells from immunized mice injected into naive mice. These studies have also demonstrated that the powerful adjuvanticity of IL-12 is observed with soluble as well as particulate immunogens and is operative in mouse strains that have different MHC haplotypes. These findings suggest that IL-12 may be a useful adjuvant component of vaccines for a wide variety of pathogens in animal and human systems.
Miller
M A
MA
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta Georgia 30322, USA. mamillen@utmem.edu
Skeen
M J
MJ
Ziegler
H K
HK
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007114:Immunization; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology*; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012995:Solubility; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D018664:Interleukin-12