In both cases, the elicited response was dependent on the presence of migrating skin cells. Remarkably, PD0325901 research buy immunization with CT or with CTB led to the induction of a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response in the ear. The DTH response that was induced by CT immunization was dependent on IL-17 and partially dependent on IFN-γ activity. These results indicate that both CT and CTB induce an efficient CD4+ T-cell response to a co-administered antigen following ear immunization that is dependent on migrating DCs. The skin is the first line of defense against microbial pathogens. There is supporting evidence that DCs are crucial for the initiation,
polarization and control of the adaptive immune response 1, 2. Efficient immunosurveillance in the skin is based upon the continuous traffic of cells from the skin to the check details draining lymph nodes. Although Langerhans cells (LCs) have been shown to be potent APCs in vitro 3, in vivo approaches have produced
conflicting data regarding their role in T-cell priming 4, 5. Dermal DCs are also migrating DCs that colonize lymph nodes more rapidly than LCs 6, 7, and different roles for skin DC subsets in T-cell priming have been reported 7–9. Skin immunization has yielded controversial data, with some reports supporting a Th2-type response 10, 11 and others a Th1-type response 12, 13. IL-17-producing CD4+ T cells (Th17) have also been found after skin immunization 13, 14. Cholera toxin (CT) has a strong adjuvant effect 15. When administered in the mucosa, CT can elicit a Th2-type response that is based on the production of FAD IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 but virtually no IFN-γ 16, 17. However, a mixed Th1/Th2 response that produces both IFN-γ and IL-4 has also been observed 18, and the administration of ovalbumin (OVA) in combination with CT elicits a dominant Th17 response following intranasal immunization 19.
This dominance of IL-17 was also observed in response to the CT β subunit (CTB). Although the precise mechanism for the adjuvant effect of CT is not completely understood, it appears that CTB targets DCs in vivo by binding to the cell membrane ganglioside GM1 20; moreover, the CT α subunit (CTA) triggers the PKA-mediated induction of cAMP, which plays a critical role in the subsequent induction of Th17 21. Following skin immunization, both migrating and LN resident cells can cooperate in T-cell priming 22, and the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response seems to be dependent on migrating cells 23; however, the dominant CD4+ T-cell immune response that is elicited after cutaneous immunization and the role of migrating DCs in the presence of adjuvants needs to be further evaluated. Here, we used intradermal (i.d.