INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ORAL-MEDICAL SCIENCES

Vol. 6 No. 2      DECEMBER - 2007

ISSN: 1347-9733      UBIC: 136-M

Abstract

Antigen delivery systems have been designed to facilitate the development of vaccines that induce both mucosal and systemic immune responses. Transcutaneous immunization (TCI) is a new method of vaccination that can induce both mucosal and systemic immunities. However, because most protein antigens are rather weak immunogens when given transcutaneously, the development of effective adjuvants is of central importance for TCI. In this study, we assessed the potential for the use of oligodeoxynucleotides containing cytosine-phosphate-guanosine motifs (CpG), as an adjuvant for transcutaneous immunization. When female C57BL/6 mice were immunized with tetanus toxoid (TT) by direct application to shaved skin, a TT specific serum IgG antibody response was induced; however, no response was induced in feces. When TT was given together with CpG oligonucleotide (ODN) as an adjuvant, a higher TT-specific serum IgG and IgA antibody response was induced, compared to TT alone. Furthermore, a TT specific IgA antibody response was detected in the fecal extract of mice immunized with CpG ODN. Dose response studies established that 500 of CpG induced the highest fecal anti-TT antibody response. These results suggest that transcutaneous administration of CpG as an adjuvant is effective for the induction of mucosal and systemic antigen specific antibody responses and that CpG could be used as an adjuvant for transcutanous immunization. Keywords: transcutaneous immunization, adjuvant, IgA antibody.

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