title: Utilization of cholera toxin B as a mucosal adjuvant elicits antibody-mediated protection againstS. pneumoniaeinfection in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate and polysaccharide vaccines have been valuable tools for combating invasive pneumococcal infection in children and healthy adults. Despite the available vaccination strategies, pneumococcal pneumonia and associated diseases continue to cause substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly in individuals with chronic disease and ageing populations. Next-generation pneumococcal vaccines will need to be highly immunogenic across patient populations providing both mucosal and systemic protective immunity. Mucosal immunization is an effective strategy for stimulating the immune response at the site of pathogen entry while increasing systemic immunity. In this study we utilized intranasal immunization with pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA), in combination with the mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin B (CTB), to characterize the immune components providing protection againstS. pneumoniaechallenge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice were immunized intranasally with CTB and PspA individually, and in combination, followed by lethal bacterial challenge withS. pneumoniae, strain A66.1. Animals were monitored for survival and tested for lung bacterial burden, cytokine production as well asS. pneumoniae-specific antibody titer in mouse sera. The primary immunological contributor to the observed protection was confirmed by cytokine neutralization and serum passive transfer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The combination of CTB and PspA provided complete protection against bacterial challenge, which coincided with a significant decrease in lung bacterial burden. Increases in the T-helper (Th) 1 cytokines, interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-2 were observed in the lung 24 h post-challenge while decreases in proinflammatory mediators IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were also recorded at the same time point. The adjuvanted PspA immunization induced significant titers ofS. pneumoniae-specific antibody in the serum of mice prior to infection. Serum adoptive transfer passively protected animals against subsequent challenge while IFN-γ neutralization had no impact on the outcome of immunization, suggesting a primary role for antibody-mediated protection in the context of this immunization strategy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mucosal immunization with CTB and PspA induced a local cellular immune response and systemic humoral immunity which resulted in effective reduction of pulmonary bacterial burden and complete protection againstS. pneumoniaechallenge. While induction of the pleiotropic cytokine IFN-γ likely contributes to control of infection through activation of effector pathways, it was not required for protection. Instead, immunization with PspA and CTB-inducedS. pneumoniae-specific antibodies in the serum prior to infection that were sufficient to protect against mucosal challenge.
authors.affiliation: Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wiedinger
authors.affiliation: Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pinho
authors.affiliation: Seton Hall University, 400 South Orange Ave, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA.
authors.forename: Constantine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bitsaktsis
keywords: PspA; S. pneumoniae; cholera toxin B; mucosal adjuvants