Protective Role of Passively Transferred Maternal Cytokines against Bordetella pertussis Infection in Newborn Piglets.
Maternal vaccination represents a potential strategy to protect both the mother and the offspring against life-threatening infections. This protective role has mainly been associated with antibodies, but the role of cell-mediated immunity, in particular passively transferred cytokines, is not well understood. Here, using a pertussis model, we have demonstrated that immunization of pregnant sows with heat-inactivated bacteria leads to induction of a wide range of cytokines (e.g., tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], gamma interferon [IFN-γ], interleukin-6 [IL-6], IL-8, and IL-12/IL-23p40) in addition to pertussis-specific antibodies. These cytokines can be detected in the sera and colostrum/milk of vaccinated sows and subsequently were detected at significant levels in the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of piglets born to vaccinated sows together with pertussis-specific antibodies. In contrast, active vaccination of newborn piglets with heat-inactivated bacteria induced high levels of specific IgG and IgA but no cytokines. Although the levels of antibodies in vaccinated piglets were comparable to those of passively transferred antibodies, no protection againstBordetella pertussisinfection was observed. Thus, our results demonstrate that a combination of passively transferred cytokines and antibodies is crucial for disease protection. The presence of passively transferred cytokines/antibodies influences the cytokine secretion ability of splenocytes in the neonate, which provides novel evidence that maternal immunization can influence the newborn's cytokine milieu and may impact immune cell differentiation (e.g., Th1/Th2 phenotype). Therefore, these maternally derived cytokines may play an essential role both as mediators of early defense against infections and possibly as modulators of the immune repertoire of the offspring.
Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada elahi@ualberta.ca volker.gerdts@usask.ca.|Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Shokrollah
S
Elahi
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, International Vaccine Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
David R
DR
Thompson
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, International Vaccine Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
Jill
J
Van Kessel
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Lorne A
LA
Babiuk
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, International Vaccine Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada elahi@ualberta.ca volker.gerdts@usask.ca.|Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
Volker
V
Gerdts
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D016207:Cytokines; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated
Bordetella pertussis; Th1 responses; Th1 type cytokines; antibodies; maternal immunization; neonatal immunization; passive immunity; passive transfer; pertussis