KINETICS, LOCALIZATION AND CYTOKINE PROFILE OF T-CELL RESPONSES TO IMMUNE STIMULATING COMPLEXES (ISCOMS) CONTAINING HUMAN INFLUENZA-VIRUS ENVELOPE GLYCOPROTEINS

Immune stimulating complexes (iscoms) are 40 nm particles combining ad juvant-active Quillaja saponins and multimeric presentation of antigen s. The distribution in mice of influenza virus iscoms and the resultin g T cell responses in the lymph nodes (LN) and spleen were characteriz ed After a single subcutaneous injection, iscoms were delivered to the draining LN where they induced a transient population of LN cells whi ch responded with proliferation and secretion of interleukin-2 (IL-2), gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) after restimula tion. The response in the spleen developed more slowly, sustained for 12 weeks and was characterized by cells producing in particular IL-2 a nd IFN-gamma but also IL-4. A booster resulted in a dramatic enhanceme nt of the production of IFN-gamma, indicating that iscoms efficiently recruit cells with Th1 properties. Con?parisons of T cell responses to iscoms and to influenza virus antigen in Freund's complete adjuvant,! ant demonstrate that these adjuvants affect both the localization and cytokine profile of T cell responses. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.