Cholera toxin modulates the systemic immune responses against Vibrio cholerae surface antigens after repeated inoculations

Abstract

The immunomodulating properties of a low cholera toxin (CT) dose over the systemic antibody response against Vibrio cholerae antigens after a comparatively extensive period of time were evaluated. Groups of 10 mice were injected intraperitoneally three times at 0, 30 and 86 days with 500 μl of buffer or 108 viable recombinant V. cholerae bacteria (lacking cholera toxin A subunit) with or without 100 ng of CT. Sera were obtained from inoculated mice at 0, 14, 28, 37, 58, 80, 93, 114, 236 and 356 days after the first injection. Vibriocidal activity and IgM and IgG anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or outer membrane protein (OMP) antibodies levels were estimated by ELISA in sera of inoculated mice. Anti-LPS IgG subclasses were measured 2 weeks after each immunization by ELISA. Treatment of mice with CT markedly influenced the immune response to LPS but not against OMP of V. cholerae. Simultaneous intraperitoneal administration of CT with V. cholerae resulted in marked enhancement of both IgM anti-LPS and vibriocidal titers which subsisted for a relatively extensive period of time after repeated antigen administration. No differences were observed in IgM and IgG anti-OMP titers after extended periods of time between CT and control treatments. A similar pattern of IgG anti-LPS subclasses was observed in the serum samples analyzed. These results suggest that long term CT administration modulates the IgM anti-V. cholerae LPS response and the serum vibriocidal activity.