Adjuvant effect of benzalkonium chloride on the allergen-specific IgE, IgG1 and IgG2a antibody formation in BALB/cJ mice.

Abstract

The quaternary ammonium compounds, of which benzalkonium chloride is the most frequently used, are cationic surfactants used e.g. as antiseptics, disinfectants, detergents and preservatives (Purohit et al. 2000). Quaternary ammonium compounds may possess adverse effect on the immune system. Thus, atopic sensitization, defined as increased IgE levels to common aeroallergens, occurred more frequently in pig farmers who used disinfectants containing these compounds – an effect which the authors suggested could be due to an adjuvant effect of the used compounds (Preller et al. 1996; Vogelzang et al. 1997). In itself, benzalkonium chloride seldomly causes allergic airway diseases (Purohit et al. 2000). The adjuvant effects on antibody production of several quaternary ammonium compounds have been revealed in a guinea pig study (Gall 1966), however not differentiated in antibody isotypes. Sparse information is available about the adjuvant effect of benzalkonium chloride. The present study investigates the effect of benzalkonium chloride on the murine type 1 helper cells (Th1) and Th2-dependent antibody levels. The Th1 response elicits IgG2a antibodies, whereas the Th2 response promotes formation of IgE and IgG1 (Corry & Kheradmand 1999). The activity of one of the most potent quaternary ammonium compound adjuvants, dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDA), has been shown in several studies to be influenced by other substances (Hilgers & Snippe 1992). As commercial quaternary ammonium compound-based products may contain a mixture of many quaternary ammonium compounds, we studied a possible interaction between benzalkonium chloride and tetraethylammonium bromide, a quaternary ammonium compound, which not per se possesses adjuvant properties as it contains short al-