Ah. Thompson et al., Optimal induction of upper respiratory tract immunity to reovirus 1/L by combined upper and lower respiratory tract inoculation, VACCINE, 17(11-12), 1999, pp. 1404-1415
There has been an increasing interest in developing vaccines which are both
easy to administer and which elicit functionally protective immune respons
es at mucosal and/or systemic sites. Intranasally administered vaccines mee
t the criteria of ease of administration and are thought to stimulate respi
ratory-mucosal immunity via interaction with nasal associated lymphoid tiss
ues (NALT). The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of how
best to stimulate respiratory-mucosal immunity using a murine model of res
piratory reovirus infection. Either a predominantly upper respiratory tract
infection or a combination upper and lower respiratory tract infection was
established by administering the same virus dose in either a small or larg
e inoculum volume. These studies demonstrate that stimulation of NALT alone
by an upper respiratory tract infection does not induce an optimal primary
antibody response even in the nasal cavity. Effective immunity of both the
upper and lower respiratory tract was obtained when a combination upper an
d lower respiratory tract infection was established. These results have imp
ortant clinical implications since they suggest that effective respiratory
mucosal immunity will be best achieved by the combined stimulation of both
the upper and lower respiratory tract and will likely require both intranas
al as well as inhaled aerosol delivery of antigen to the lower respiratory
tract in humans. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.