title: Lactoferrin acts as an adjuvant during influenza vaccination of neonatal mice.
abstract: Health policy precludes neonatal vaccination against influenza. Hence, morbidity and mortality are high under 6 months of age. Lactoferrin may activate diminished numbers of dysfunctional dendritic cells and reverse neonatal vaccine failures. Aluminum hydroxide/ALUM recruits neutrophils that secrete lactoferrin at deposition sites of antigen. We theorized lactoferrin + influenza antigen initiates an equivalent antibody response compared to ALUM. Three-day-old mice received subcutaneously 30 μg of H1N1 hemagglutinin + 200 μg of bovine lactoferrin versus hemagglutinin + ALUM. Controls received hemagglutinin, lactoferrin, or ALUM. After 21 days, sera measured anti-H1N1 (ELISA) and neutralizing antibody (plaque assays). ELISA detected equal antibody production with lactoferrin + hemagglutinin compared to hemagglutinin + ALUM; both sera also neutralized H1N1 virus at a 1:20 dilution (p < 0.01). Controls had no anti-H1N1 antibody. Neonates given lactoferrin had no anaphylaxis when challenged four weeks later. Lactoferrin is a safe and effective adjuvant for inducing antibody against influenza in neonates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. Electronic address: shermanmp@health.missouri.edu.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology Department, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. Electronic address: PritzlC@health.missouri.edu.
authors.forename: Curtis J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Pritzl
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology Department, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. Electronic address: xiac@health.missouri.edu.
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology Department, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. Electronic address: mmmfz5@mail.missouri.edu.
authors.forename: Mindy M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology Department, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. Electronic address: zaghouanih@health.missouri.edu.
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zaghouani
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology & Immunology Department, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. Electronic address: hahmb@health.missouri.edu.
authors.forename: Bumsuk
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hahm
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002417:Cattle; D004285:Dogs; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D061985:Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells / Q000821:virology; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; C543345:H1N1 virus hemagglutinin; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide; D007781:Lactoferrin
keywords: Adjuvant; Hemagglutinin; Immunization; Influenza; Lactoferrin; Newborn