title: Humoral immune response to keyhole limpet haemocyanin, the protein carrier in cancer vaccines.
abstract: Keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) appears to be a promising protein carrier for tumor antigens in numerous cancer vaccine candidates. The humoral immune response to KLH was characterized at the single-cell level with ELISPOT combined with separations of cell populations according to their expression of homing receptors (HRs). The analysis of HR expressions is expected to reveal the targeting of the immune response in the body. Eight orally primed and four nonprimed volunteers received KLH-vaccine subcutaneously. Circulating KLH-specific plasmablasts were found in all volunteers, 60 KLH-specific plasmablasts/10(6) PBMC in the nonprimed and 136/10(6) in the primed group. The proportion of L-selectin(+) plasmablasts proved high and integrin α(4)β(7) (+) low. KLH serving as protein carrier in several vaccines, the homing profile of KLH-specific response may be applicable to the cancer antigen parts in the same vaccines. The present data reflect a systemic homing profile, which appears advantageous for the targeting of immune response to cancer vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Aurora Hospital, Building 5, 3rd floor, P.O. Box 348, 00029 Helsinki, Finland. anu.kantele@hus.fi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kantele
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Häkkinen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zivny
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Elson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mestecky
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kantele
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D058501:Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay; D005260:Female; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D006433:Hemocyanins; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin