STUDY ON SPECIFIC MUCOSAL IMMUNITY BY INTRANASAL IMMUNIZATION OF OUTER-MEMBRANE PROTEIN P6 OF HAEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE WITH CHOLERA-TOXIN-B SUBUNIT

Effective induction of the specific mucosal immunity against the outer membrane protein P6 of Haemophilus influenzae was investigated. Twent y-four BALB/c mice were intranasally immunized with P6, twice, with 2 weeks in between, with or without intranasal cytokine treatment. The i ntranasal immunization evoked both anti-P6 specific mucosal IgA immuni ty and systemic IgG immunity. In addition, intranasal administration o f rIL-2 and rIL-5 enhanced anti-Pb specific immune response was mainta ined for 3 weeks after the final immunization with the intranasal cyto kine treatment. These suggest the possibility of intranasal immunizati on and the advantage of intranasal administration of cytokines for eli citing both mucosal and systemic immunity.