The anti-tetanus immune response of neonatal mice is augmented by retinoic acid combined with polyriboinosinic:polyribocytidylic acid.

ABSTRACT: Neonates are highly susceptible to infectious diseases and, in general, respond poorly to conventional vaccines due to immaturity of the immune system. In the present study, we hypothesized that the anti-tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccine response of neonatal mice could be enhanced by retinoic acid (RA), a bioactive retinoid, and polyriboinosinic:polyribocytidylic acid (PIC), an inducer of IFN. Early-life treatments with RA and/or PIC were well tolerated and stimulated both primary anti-TT IgG production in infancy and the memory response in adulthood. TT-specific lymphocyte proliferation and type 1/type 2 cytokine production were also significantly augmented. In addition, RA and PIC modulated the maturation and/or differentiation of neonatal B cells, natural killer (NK)/NKT cells, and antigen-pr

SUBMITTER: Ma Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1224655 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature