Enhanced type 1 immunity after secondary viral challenge in mice primed as neonates

J Immunol. 2002 Sep 15;169(6):3293-300. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.169.6.3293.

Abstract

The goal of infant immunization against viral infection is to develop protective long term memory responses. Priming neonatal mice with a low dose of Cas-Br-E murine leukemia virus (Cas) results in adult-like, type 1 protective responses. However, other studies suggest that Ag priming of neonates leads to an increase in type 2 secondary responses even when primary responses were type 1. We assessed whether type 1 CD8+ T cell-mediated responses developed in murine neonates are maintained after secondary challenge with Cas in adulthood. Despite the induction of significant anti-viral CD8+-mediated cytotoxic T lymphocyte and IFN-gamma responses, initial neonatal priming led to a lower frequency of virus-specific T cells compared with adult priming. Adult frequencies were reached in mice primed as neonates only after secondary challenge in adulthood. A nonspecific and transient CD4+-mediated IL-4 response was present in all groups after secondary challenge with Cas or medium, indicating that this rise in type 2 cytokine production was not unique to mice that had been primed as neonates. Rather, type 1 anti-viral memory CD8+ T cell responses developed in neonatal mice are stable, protective, and enhanced after secondary challenge.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aging / immunology
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn / growth & development
  • Animals, Newborn / immunology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / virology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
  • Immunization, Secondary* / methods
  • Immunologic Memory*
  • Injections, Intraperitoneal
  • Leukemia Virus, Murine / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Retroviridae Infections / immunology*
  • Retroviridae Infections / prevention & control
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / virology
  • Th1 Cells / immunology*
  • Tumor Virus Infections / immunology*
  • Tumor Virus Infections / prevention & control
  • Viral Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Viral Vaccines / immunology*

Substances

  • Viral Vaccines