DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRAL INDUCED CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNE RESPONSES IN UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT

Abstract

The appearance of rubella specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) in tonsillar and adenoidal lymphoid tissue and in circulating lymphocytes, and antibody activity in serum and nasopharyngeal secretions was studied in groups of children who underwent tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) at varying intervals after natural rubella infection, subcutaneous immunization with HPV-77 or intranasal inoculation of RA27 rubella vaccine. The techniques of hemagglutination-inhibition, autoradiography, in-vitro lymphocyte transformation and assay of migratory inhibitory factor using rubella virus as the antigen were employed to determine antibody and CMI in serum and secretory sites. Serum antibody response was elicited regularly after natural or induced infection. Nasopharyngeal antibody response was observed only after natural infection or RA27 immunization. Development of specific CMI in circulating lymphocytes was regularly observed after natural infection and frequently after immunization. Natural infection or intranasal immunization with rubella vaccine resulted in the appearance of CMI in the tonsillar and adenoidal lymphoid tissue, and the response persisted for 3-4 months. Significantly however, CMI activity in tonsils and adenoids was conspicuously absent after subcutaneous immunization. These data suggest the existence of locally induced cellular immune components in the mechanism of mucosal defense against viral infections.