In vivo priming effect during various stages of ontogeny of an influenza A virus nucleoprotein peptide

• Published in: European journal of immunology Vol. 23; no. 6; p. 1397
• Main Authors: Kuzu, H, Kuzu, Y, Zaghouani, H, Bona, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01-06-1993
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn - immunology; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Female; Immune Tolerance; Immunity, Cellular; Immunization; Influenza A virus - immunology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Nucleocapsid Proteins; Nucleoproteins; Peptides - immunology; Pregnancy; Viral Core Proteins - immunology
• ISSN: 0014-2980
• DOI: 10.1002/eji.1830230634

In vivo priming of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) by an influenza virus nucleoprotein (NP) peptide was studied at various stages of development. Adult mice immunized twice with the NP peptide in complete Freund's adjuvant and incomplete Freund's adjuvant, respectively, produce significant CTL responses. Neonates immunized at birth with large amounts of NP peptide and boosted twice with the peptide during adulthood, also mount a weak but significant CTL response. By contrast, offspring from mothers immunized with the NP peptide at days 15, 17, and 19 of pregnancy showed unresponsiveness to the peptide subsequent to a similar regimen of peptide immunization at the age of 1 month. The data indicate that the contact of T cell precursors with antigen during fetal life induces CTL tolerance, whereas, after birth the precursors are not susceptible to tolerogenic signals.