The effect of monoclonal antibody and route of immunization on the humoralimmune response against Porphyromonas gingivalis

Immunomodulation mediated by exogenous antibodies has been proposed as a va ccine strategy to improve immune protection against pathogenic microorganis ms and suggested to contribute to protection following passive immunization . To test whether a monoclonal antibody directed against an adhesion epitop e of the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis could influence the humoral immune response following mucosal immunization, BALB/c mice were im munized orally or intranasally with P, gingivalis alone or P. gingivalis co ated with monoclonal antibody 61BG1.3. Differences in antigenic specificity of anti-P., gingivalis serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) were demonstrated betw een groups of mice that received monoclonal antibody-coated P. gingivalis v ersus those that received P. gingivalis alone by either route of immunizati on. Binding of monoclonal antibody 61BG1.3 to P. gingivalis prior to immuni zation did not influence the serum IgG subclass distribution. However, mino r differences in subclass distribution were observed between the various ro utes of mucosal immunization. These results support the hypothesis that spe cific monoclonal antibody bound to a bacterial vaccine can alter the qualit y of the humoral immune response to that organism.