title: Mucosal and systemic immune responses to a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 epitope induced upon vaginal infection with a recombinant influenza A virus.
abstract: The humoral and cellular immune responses in the genital mucosa likely play an important role in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Here we show that vaginal infection of progesterone-treated BALB/c mice with a recombinant influenza virus bearing the immunodominant P18IIIB cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitope of the gp160 envelope protein from an HIV-1 IIIB isolate (P18IIIB; RIQRGPGRAFVTIGK) can induce a specific immune response in regional mucosal lymph nodes, as well as in a systemic site (the spleen). A single inoculation of mice with the recombinant influenza virus induced long-lasting (at least 5 months) antigen-specific CTL memory detectable as a rapid recall of effector CTLs upon vaginal infection with recombinant vaccinia virus expressing HIV-1 IIIB envelope gene products. Long-term antigen-specific CTL memory was also induced and maintained in distant mucosal tissues when mice were intranasally immunized with the recombinant influenza virus. These results indicate that mucosal immunization and, in particular, local vaginal immunization with recombinant influenza virus can provide strong, durable immune responses in the female genital tract of mice.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garulli
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawaoka
authors.forename: Maria R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Castrucci
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic