title: DNA immunisation. New histochemical and morphometric data.
abstract: Splenic germinal center reactions were measured during primary response to a plasmidic DNA intramuscular injection. Cardiotoxin-pretreated Balb/c mice were immunized with DNA plasmids encodmg or not the SAG1 protein, a membrane antigen of Toxoplasma gondii. Specific anti-SAG1 antibodies were detected on days 16 and 36 after injection of coding plasmids. The results of ELISAs showed that the SAG1-specific antibodies are of the IgG2a class. Morphometric analyses were done on serial immunostained cryosections of spleen and draining or non-draining lymph nodes. This new approach made it possible to evaluate the chronological changes induced by DNA immunisation in the germinal centres (in number and in size). Significant increases in the number of germinal centres were measured in the spleen and only in draining lymph nodes after plasmid injection, the measured changes of the germinal centers appeared to result from the adjuvant stimulatory effect of the plasmidic DNA since both the coding and the noncoding plasmid DNA induced them. No measurable changes were recorded in the T-dependent zone of lymph organs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Human Histology, University of Liège, Belgium. eheinen@ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ehirchiou
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zorzi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biemans
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vanderbeeke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haumont
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coumans
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Collin
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jolois
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bollen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heinen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Antoine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001710:Biotin; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002244:Carbon; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D017252:CD3 Complex; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D004396:Coloring Agents; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C047168:SAG1 antigen, Toxoplasma; C028433:chinese ink; D001710:Biotin; D002244:Carbon; D004247:DNA