title: Basic mechanisms of DNA-raised antibody responses to intramuscular and gene gun immunizations.
abstract: DNA-raised antibody (Ab) responses have been compared for the dependence on CD4+ and CD8+ cells, the longevity of functional antigen (Ag) expression, and the nature of the Ag-presenting cell after intramuscular (i.m.) and gene gun inoculations. A plasmid expressing the hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein of influenza virus was used for immunizations of BALB/c mice. Intramuscular and gene gun-raised Abs had similar dependencies on CD4+ and CD8+ cells but different temporal patterns of functional Ag expression. The two methods of DNA immunization also appeared to have different frequencies or types of Ag-presenting cells in the draining lymph nodes and spleen. For both methods of DNA delivery, Ab was independent of CD8+ cells but dependent on CD4+ cells. The CD4 dependence occurred at priming but not booster immunizations and resulted in a 1-month delay in the Ab response. Temporal T-cell transfers from TCR+/+ mice into immunized TCR-/- mice revealed the persistence of DNA-expressed Ag for up to 1 month after both i.m. and gene gun inoculations. For gene gun, but not i.m. immunizations, approximately 90% of the functional Ag expression was lost by 1 week, consistent with the sloughing of the epidermal target site. Despite similar titers of raised Ab, Ag-presenting dendritic cells could be detected in the draining lymph nodes and spleen of gene gun- but not i.m. DNA-immunized mice. In the gene gun-immunized mice, Ag-presenting dendritic cells appeared in the draining lymph nodes before the spleen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D019470:Biolistics; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma