| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2001: ¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
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| Research Abstract |
In this study, the regulation of immune responses in IgA inductive sites and IgA effecter sites was analyzed to elucidate the modulation of mucosal immune system by aging. Nasal associated lymphoid tissues for IgA inductive site and salivary glands, lamina propria of small intestine and lung for IgA effecter sites were focused to examine the followings. 1) Relation between immunized sites and immune responses in IgA effecter sites, 2) Cell biological and molecular biological examination on cytokines of T cells migrating in salivary glands which regulate IgA immune responses and on chemokine and chemokine receptors, 3) Amplification of oral bacteria such as Streptococcus mutatis-specific IgA immune responses by using mucosal adjuvant )mutant CT)
Ovalbumin(OVA)-specific IgA immune responses were significantly decreased in the old group, which were immunized with OVA via nasal route. Furthermore, immune responses by LPS, a T-independent antigen, were analyzed in the same manner. However this study did not show a significant differences in LPS-specific IgA immune responses between young adult group and old group, higher levels of LPS-specifie IgM immune responses in the old group were seen. Furthermore, the results of gene expression of TLR-2 and TLR-4 before and after the immunization with TNP-LPS suggested that innate immunity changed rather than adoptive immunity by aging.
To elucidate the efficiency as a mucosal vaccine, mutant cholera toxin (mCT) and Streptococcus mutans I/II antigen were used in this study. This study demonstrated that mucosal immunization of mCT and I/II antige via nasal route, was effective for the prevention of dental caries.
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