Protection against influenza virus infection by nasal vaccination in advance of sublethal irradiation

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 18; no. 23; pp. 2560 - 2565
• Main Authors: Hasegawa, Hideki, Kadowaki, Shin-etsu, Takahashi, Hidehiro, Iwasaki, Takuya, Tamura, Shin-ichi, Kurata, Takeshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 22.05.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Administration, Intranasal; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gamma Rays - adverse effects; Immunization Schedule; Immunocompromised Host; Influenza; Influenza A virus - immunology; Influenza A virus - isolation & purification; Influenza Vaccines - administration & dosage; influenza virus; Lethal Dose 50; Leukopenia - etiology; Lung - virology; Medical sciences; Mice; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Mucosal immunization; Opportunistic Infections - prevention & control; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - prevention & control; Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control; Radiotherapy - adverse effects; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Transplantation Conditioning - adverse effects; Vaccine; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Virology; Whole-Body Irradiation - adverse effects; γ-Ray irradiation; Vaccine; γ-Ray irradiation; Influenza; Mucosal immunization; Immunoprotection; Toxicity; Mucosa; Rodentia; Orthomyxoviridae; Influenzavirus; Virus; Vertebrata; Local immunity; Gamma irradiation; Mammalia; Mouse
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/S0264-410X(99)00553-8

The effect of sublethal γ-ray irradiation on the protection conferred by a nasal influenza vaccine was investigated in BALB/c mice. A radiation dose of 7 Gy was selected as the sublethal dose as this caused exacerbation of the influenza but was not lethal in the mouse model. Mice were irradiated 7 days before, on the same day as, and 7 days after, administration of a nasal influenza vaccine, and were then infected with a lethal dose of the virus 4 weeks after vaccination. Almost all mice irradiated 7 days before or on the same day as vaccination died from viral pneumonia around 7 days after the challenge infection, whereas all mice irradiated 7 days after vaccination survived with no sign of infection. In mice irradiated 7 days after vaccination, both local anti-viral IgA and systemic IgG antibodies were produced in parallel with a marked reduction in lung viral titer, although no antibody production and no reduction in lung viral titer were detected in mice irradiated 7 days before, or on the same day as, vaccination. These results clearly demonstrate that vaccination with influenza virus before irradiation can protect mice from subsequent infection. This may be applicable to patients due to receive sublethal irradiation for bone marrow transplantation.