title: Quillaja saponin formulations that stimulate proinflammatory cytokines elicit a potent acquired cell-mediated immunity.
abstract: We examined the ability of various Quillaja saponins in iscom-matrix formulations to induce proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1alpha and IL-6, and to stimulate acquired immune responses to influenza virus envelope proteins. The A-fraction of Quillaja saponins (QH-A) was shown to stimulate antigen-presenting cells (APC) to produce proinflammatory cytokines, and elicited a high primary antigen-specific antibody response and potent cell-mediated responses, as measured by T-cell proliferation, production of cytokines and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity. The C-fraction of Quillaja saponins (QH-C) was shown to have a low capacity to stimulate proinflammatory cytokines and elicited low primary antibody and T-cell responses. However, the QH-C iscom-matrix mediated a potent booster effect, resulting in a high secondary antibody response. The ability of APC to discriminate and to respond to QH-A formulations more efficiently than to QH-C with release of proinflammatory cytokines, which precedes a potent acquired immune response, identifies an important mechanism through which some adjuvants may exert their immunoenhancing activities.
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Virology Section, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Behboudi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morein
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Villacres-Eriksson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D019685:Rosales / Q000737:chemistry*; D012503:Saponins / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins; D012503:Saponins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins