Intranasal administration of Schistosoma mansoni adult worm antigen in combination with cholera toxin induces a Th2 cell response

Abstract

Mice immunized with soluble adult worm antigen (SWAP) in combination with cholera toxin (CT) displayed significantly larger numbers of IgG1, IgM and IgA secreting cells in the spleen and in the lungs as compared to mice which had received SWAP only. The ratio of SWAP-specific IgG1 to IgG2a antibody-secreting spleen cells was also significantly higher in the SWAP-CT group. Analysis of cytokine responses revealed that SWAP-stimulated spleen and lung cells from the SWAP-CT group produced lower levels of IFN-gamma but higher levels of IL-4 and IL-5 as compared to cells from the SWAP group. These findings indicate that intranasal administration of SWAP-CT induces a Th2 cell response in the spleen and in the lungs. Our findings also suggest that CT was responsible for induction of this Th2 cell response, since intranasal administration of SWAP alone induced a Th1 type response in the spleen and in the lungs.