title: Immunity to vaginal HSV-2 infection in immunoglobulin A knockout mice.
abstract: An immunoglobulin A (IgA) knockout (KO) mouse was used to study the role of IgA in protective immunity against vaginal infection with herpes simplex virus-type 2 (HSV-2). Intact and KO mice were immunized intravaginally (IVAG) with attenuated HSV-2, challenged IVAG with wild-type virus 6 weeks later and evaluated for vaginal infection and neurological disease. Non-immunized/challenged intact and KO mice showed vaginal infection and succumbed to neurological disease, while immunized/challenged mice exhibited reduced or no vaginal infection and no neurological disease. Log 2.5 enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) titres of viral IgA, immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) in vaginal secretions collected from intact immune mice before challenge were 0.6+/-0.3, 6.4+/-0.32 and 0.0, while those in KO immune mice were 0.0, 6.7+/-0.19 and 3.0+/-0.29, respectively. Twenty-four hours after challenge, the percentage of vaginal epithelium that was infected in non-immune intact and KO mice was 2.0+/-0.6 and 2.4+/-0.6, which was reduced to 0.2+/-0.1 and 0.1+/-0.06 in immune intact and KO mice, respectively. No shed virus protein was detected in vaginal secretions 3 days after challenge in any immune mouse, whereas titres were 1400 and 1700 in the two groups of non-immune mice. Thus, immune protection against vaginal HSV-2 infection was similar in both KO and intact mice, indicating that this mucosal immunity does not depend mainly on IgA.
authors.affiliation: Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Parr
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Harriman
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Parr
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D017098:IgA Deficiency / Q000276:immunology; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D014621:Vagina / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M