Premium
A recombinant BCG vaccine generates a Th1‐like response and inhibits IgE synthesis in BALB/c mice
Author(s) -
Mukesh Kumar,
Aruna K. Behera,
Hiroto Matsuse,
Richard F. Lockey,
Shyam S. Mohapatra
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2567.1999.00782.x
Subject(s) - antigen , recombinant dna , mycobacterium bovis , splenocyte , biology , vaccination , immunoglobulin e , bcg vaccine , antibody , escherichia coli , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , mycobacterium tuberculosis , gene , medicine , tuberculosis , biochemistry , pathology
The tubercle vaccine, bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG), is a strong inducer of T‐helper type 1 (Th1) responsiveness, and it has been suggested that recombinant BCG (rBCG), which produces and secretes antigens, may be used to prevent allergic diseases. The effects of rBCG vaccination on allergic responses in a murine model were examined in this study. A BCG– Escherichia coli shuttle vector was developed with the promoter and signal sequence of the α‐antigen of Mycobacterium bovis , and the vector was tested using E. coli β‐galactosidase as the model antigen and allergen. This vector enabled the expression of the E. coli β‐galactosidase gene in BCG, which was detected in its protein extract by immunoblotting analysis. Vaccination of mice with a single dose of 10 6 recombinant BCG generated a β‐galactosidase‐specific antibody response. The splenocytes of vaccinated mice compared with controls produced significantly higher amounts of interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) ( P <0·01) and interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) ( P <0·05) and lower amounts of IL‐5 ( P <0·01). Mice vaccinated with rBCG had significantly less ( P <0·01) serum IgE compared with controls. These results together demonstrate that rBCG secreting antigens or allergens may be utilized for the induction of a Th1‐like response and the down‐regulation of IgE antibody response.