Anti-tetanus response

Vitamin A deficiency has been shown to reduce the response to many TD antigens, including common vaccines such as tetanus toxoid ([7, 34] for reviews). Since these reports, Molrine et al. [35] studied the anti-tetanus response of VA-deficient immunodeficient scid mice reconstituted with human peripheral blood lymphocytes from tetanus toxoid immune donors. On reimmunization, mice produced a secondary human anti-tetanus response. Vitamin A-deficient mice produced a much lower secondary anti-tetanus response and mice repleted with VA before immunization produced a normal secondary response. Thus the results of this study agree well with previous results from wild-type rodents. 

In order to develop an anti-prion vaccine, a novel DNA fusion vaccine composed of mouse PrP and immune stimulatory helper T-cell epitopes of the tetanus toxin has been developed (Nitschke et al., 2007). This approach provokes a strong PrP -specific humoral and cellular immune response in PrP null mice, but only low antibody titers are found in vaccinated wild-type mice. Furthermore, prime-boost immunization with the DNA vaccine and recombinant PrP protein increased antibody titres in PrP null mice, but failed to protect wild-type mice from mouse scrapie (Nitschke et al., 2007). 

In a study utilizing over 4000 mice (Spallholz et al., 1974) where the route of administration (ip, sc or intradermal) of Se and Vitamin E (0-100 yg Se and /or 0-5 mg Vitamin E) upon the primary and secondary immune responses to SRBC antigens or tetanus toxoid (TT) were studied, synergism between Se and Vitamin E in increasing antibody titers was observed. No increases in anti-TT titers were observed in the primary immune response, but were increased in the secondary immune response. Anti-SRBC antibodies were enhanced in both primary and secondary immune responses. The primary Immune response to both antigens was measured over a 21-day period while the secondary response was also measured over 21-day period following the second immunization-sensitization. 

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