Contribution of mast cells to the T helper 2 response induced by simultaneous subcutaneous and oral immunization.
This work examines the contribution of mast cells to the synergistic enhancement of the T helper 2 (Th2) immune response elicited following simultaneous oral and subcutaneous (s.c.) immunization. The s.c. route induced a Th1-biased immune response, characterized by increased interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a) antibody production. In contrast, oral immunization stimulated a primarily Th2-type response in which interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IgG1 antibody production were dominant. Simultaneous immunization also triggered a Th2-biased response, the magnitude of which exceeded the additive effects of s.c. and oral immunization alone by greater than threefold. To analyse whether mast cells in gut-associated lymphoid tissue contributed to this synergistic response, mast cell-deficient mice WBB6F1-w/wv were studied. Whereas the primary response following simultaneously antigen administration was reduced only twofold in these animals compared with wild type controls WBB6F1-+/+ (suggesting that mast cells were not needed to initiate Th2 immunity), reconstitution with bone-marrow-derived mast cells from WBB6F1-+/+ mice resulted in a superoptimal response (suggesting that mast cells contribute to the magnitude and perpetuation of these Th2-biased responses).
Aoki
I
I
Department of Pathology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
Itoh
S
S
Yokota
S
S
Tanaka
S
S
Ishii
N
N
Okuda
K
K
Minami
M
M
Klinman
D M
DM
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D017452:Receptors, IgG