Adoptive transfer of CD4 spleen cells isolated from mice immunized with a 125 amino-acid fragment of H. pylori urease B reduces Heucobacter infection in recipient BALB/c mice

Abstract

Mucosal immunization with a 125 amino-acid fragment of H. pylori urease B (HpUreB220_345) and cholera toxin (CT) is sufficient to prevent Helicobacter infection in BALB/c mice. Aim: To determine whether adoptive transfer of CD4 spleen cells isolated from mice immunized with HpUreB220_345 can confer protection to recipient BALB/c mice against Helicobacter infection. Methods: Donor BALB/c mice were nasally immunized with HpUreB220_345 and CT and infected with H. felis (Hf). CD4 spleen cells were transferred intravenously to recipient BALB/c mice (2xl 06/mouse), either directly or after in vitro stimulation with HpUreB 220_ 345. Recipient and naive mice (lO/group) were infected with Hf one day after transfer and sacrificed 2 weeks later. Infection status was determined by Urease Test (UT). p values were determined by WilcoxonlKruskalWallis test compared to control mice Results: Donor mice were split into protected (9/15) and unprotected animals (6/15) according to their UT (mean O~O and 0.5~0.1, respectively). Injection of CD4 from unprotected donors before Hf infection significantly reduced bacterial colonization compared to control infected mice. Adoptive transfer of CD4 from protected mice had no effect on the level of Hf infection. The difference in the efficacy of CD4 from protected and unprotected donors was significant (p=O.03). After in vitro stimulation with HpUreB220_345' CD4 spleen cells from both unprotected and protected donors decrease the level of bacterial infection in recipient mice Conclusions: Adoptive transfer of CD4 spleen cells from mice immunized with a 125 amino-acid fragment of urease B can decrease the level of Helicobacter infection in recipient mice. The fact that the CD4 cells from protected donor spleens need to be stimulated to exert an effect in recipients suggest that they are in lower number compared to unprotected donors, probably because most of them have already migrated to the stomach