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Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the intracellular pattern recognition receptor gene NLRP3 are associated with susceptibility to Crohn’s disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Following cell damage or infection, NLRP3 triggers the formation of inflammasomes, a multimolecular protein complex containing NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1, which mediate secretion of IL-1β and IL-18. NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages has been implicated in protection against several pathogens, but whether NLRP3 activation in tissue cells contributes to protective immunity against bacterial pathogens is unknown. We show that upon infection with the attaching/effacing (A/E) intestinal pathogen Citrobacter rodentium, Nlrp3-/- and Asc-/- mice displayed higher bacterial colonization, more weight loss and exacerbated intestinal inflammation. We further show that Nlrp3 inflammasome activation in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) acts rapidly after infection to limit bacterial replication and penetration, and inhibits the development of inflammatory pathology in the gut. We also show that epithelial Nlrp3-mediated protection is independent of the classical inflammasome cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. Thus an Nlrp3-Asc circuit in IECs regulates early defense against a mucosal pathogen and limits inflammation in the intestine. Nlrp3 inflammasome activation has also been implicated in protection in acute models of experimental colitis, but its role in chronic models of colitis is unknown. We found that Asc signaling is necessary for the development of innate chronic intestinal inflammation driven by Helicobacter hepaticus. Thus while deficient inflammasome signaling in tissue cells increases susceptibility towards enteric pathogens, excessive inflammasome activation can drive chronic intestinal inflammation.

Master of Science / Department of Clinical Science / Elizabeth Davis / Background: While there is a commercially-available vaccine for Streptococcus equi subsp. equi licensed for the intranasal route of administration, some equine practitioners are administering this vaccine orally despite a lack of evidence for its efficacy by this route of administration. Objectives: To compare systemic and local immune responses following intranasal or oral administration of the USDA-approved, live-attenuated Streptococcus equi subspecies equi vaccine (Pinnacle IN®, Zoetis, Florham Park, New Jersey). Study Design: Experimental, randomized clinical trial Methods: Eight healthy horses with low Streptococcus equi M protein (SeM) titers (<1:1600) were randomly assigned to an intranasal or oral two-vaccine series. SeM-specific serum immunoglobulins G (IgG) and A (IgA) and nasal secretion IgA were assessed using a commercially-available ELISA (Equine Diagnostic Solutions, LLC, Lexington, Kentucky) and a novel magnetic microsphere assay utilizing fluorescence. A general linear mixed models approach was used for statistical data analysis. Results: As expected, intranasal vaccinates showed substantial increases in both serum SeM-specific IgG and IgA levels post-vaccination (P=0.0006 and P=0.007, respectively). Oral vaccinates showed an increase in serum SeM-specific IgG post-vaccination (P=0.0150), though only one-third the magnitude of intranasal vaccinates. Oral vaccinates showed no evidence of change in SeM-specific IgA post-vaccination (P=0.15). Main Limitations: Changes in mucosal antibody responses were not identified in this study which may be related to small change in antibody response, timing of sample collection, or method of nasal secretion collection. Conclusions: Results indicate that intranasal or oral vaccine administration resulted in increased serum SeM-specific IgG, though the magnitude of response differed between routes.

Previous studies of the ontogeny of the mucosal immune system have shown a significant increase in salivary Immunoglobulin A levels occurring at about five years of age. This study has monitored a group of 3 and 4 year old children during one year of attendance at Pre-School to examine whether such an increase could be linked to increased antigenic exposure associated with moving into a school like environment. Saliva samples were collected at regular intervals and analysed for immunoglobulin and total protein levels. Daily health records were maintained for each child, and a detailed social and medical history was collected for each child at the beginning of the study. The elevated mucosal immune response observed in previous studies involving children in day care centres and attending school was not seen in this study. No significant difference was observed between children who had previously attended Pre-School or child care centres and those who were attending for the first time. However, a marked seasonal increase in mean salivary IgA during the winter months was observed and this increase correlated with an increase in respiratory infections. Hence, in studies of developmental aspects of mucosal immune response it is essential that modifiers such as season and infection be recorded.

<p>The lungs and upper airways are mucosal surfaces that are common site for infection with an enormous variety of inhaled pathogens. Therefore, induction of immune responses in the respiratory tract is crucial for protection against respiratory diseases.</p><p>One of the pathogens infecting the host via the respiratory tract is <i>Mycobacterium Tuberculosis</i>. The reported efficacy of the currently used Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine against tuberculosis is highly variable, ranging from 50% against pulmonary tuberculosis to 80% against disseminated tuberculosis. Recently, the current route of vaccination (intradermal) has been considered as a possible factor influencing the protective capacity of the BCG vaccine. In this regard, intradermal route most likely induces protective systemic responses while it fails to induce optimal responses in the lungs. Therefore, our working hypothesis is that vaccination should be directed towards the respiratory mucosal immunity in order to improve the degree of host protection in the lungs.</p><p>In this thesis we studied the effect of the route of immunization as well as of different mucosal adjuvants on the induction of mucosal immune responses against the mycobacterial surface antigen PstS-1. We found that, the intranasal (i.n.) route of immunization was a more favorable route inducing strong local immune responses, than intraperitoneal (i.p.) route. Indeed, i.n. route immunization, unlike the i.p. route, elicited strong IgA responses in the lungs accompanied by a major influx of CD4⁺ T cells and a significant local production of IFN-gamma.</p><p>IgA, being the predominant Ig isotype at mucosal tissues, is considered a major effector molecule involved in defense mechanisms against viral and bacterial pathogens at these sites. Therefore, we investigated the possible role of IgA in the protection of the respiratory mucosa against mycobacterial infections, using mice deficient in IgA and in the polymeric Ig receptor. We show that, deficient mice are more susceptible to mycobacterial infections than wild type mice, thereby demonstrating a role for IgA in protection against mycobacteria. Importantly, our studies revealed a reduced production of protective factors, such as INF-gamma and TNF-alpha in the lungs of deficient mice that was associated with the higher susceptibility seen in these mice compared to wild-type mice. We also conducted challenge experiments against another respiratory pathogen, <i>Chlamydia pneumoniae</i>, using IgA deficient mice. Likewise to mycobacteria, our data support a role for IgA in the protection of the respiratory tract against <i>C. pneumoniae</i> infection.</p><p>Finally, we investigated the possible mechanisms explaining the reduced pro-inflammatory responses in IgA deficient mice. Our data indicated that IgA deficient mice present a defective response to stimulation with LPS or 19kDa which appears to be both, essentially due to suboptimal stimulation of macrophages and restricted to the lungs.</p>

This thesis aimed to the identification of immune biomarkers of mycobacterial infection for better diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and also focused on new vaccination strategies with a particular emphasis on the immune responses in the respiratory tract using murine models. Since the lung is the natural habitat for the M. tuberculosis, we reasoned that immune responses detected locally in the lungs would be good correlates of infection (Paper I). Likewise, immune responses induced in the respiratory tract following immunization would be more effective against mycobacterial infection. We showed that cytokines (IL-12, TNF, and IFN-γ) and cytokine receptors (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2) together with specific antibodies in the respiratory tract correlated better with the bacterial burden in the organs. In Paper II, we investigated the role of the BCG vaccination as a priming vaccine in a heterologous prime-boost immunization protocol. The results showed that the neonatal BCG vaccination primed the immune system for a relevant antigen and showed a generalized adjuvant effect. Using this immunization protocol, protective immune responses in the lungs were generated independently of the route used for the booster immunization. In Paper III, We showed that exposure to mycobacterial antigens during the gestational period led to antigen transportation from the mother to the fetus and this resulted in an early priming of the fetal immune system. Immunization with the same antigen during the postnatal life increased antigen-specific recall IFN-γ responses and protection against infection. We examined the role of innate immunity for the induction of acquired immune responses upon immunization with mycobacterial antigens using TLR2 deficient mice (Paper IV). Our data indicated that suboptimal innate immune responses in the TLR2-/- mice might compromise the induction of acquired immune responses. Overall, the current findings suggested that a better understanding of the mucosal immunity would be useful for the improvement of diagnostic procedures and the development of efficient vaccines against TB. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Manuscript

The lungs and upper airways are mucosal surfaces that are common site for infection with an enormous variety of inhaled pathogens. Therefore, induction of immune responses in the respiratory tract is crucial for protection against respiratory diseases. One of the pathogens infecting the host via the respiratory tract is Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. The reported efficacy of the currently used Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine against tuberculosis is highly variable, ranging from 50% against pulmonary tuberculosis to 80% against disseminated tuberculosis. Recently, the current route of vaccination (intradermal) has been considered as a possible factor influencing the protective capacity of the BCG vaccine. In this regard, intradermal route most likely induces protective systemic responses while it fails to induce optimal responses in the lungs. Therefore, our working hypothesis is that vaccination should be directed towards the respiratory mucosal immunity in order to improve the degree of host protection in the lungs. In this thesis we studied the effect of the route of immunization as well as of different mucosal adjuvants on the induction of mucosal immune responses against the mycobacterial surface antigen PstS-1. We found that, the intranasal (i.n.) route of immunization was a more favorable route inducing strong local immune responses, than intraperitoneal (i.p.) route. Indeed, i.n. route immunization, unlike the i.p. route, elicited strong IgA responses in the lungs accompanied by a major influx of CD4+ T cells and a significant local production of IFN-gamma. IgA, being the predominant Ig isotype at mucosal tissues, is considered a major effector molecule involved in defense mechanisms against viral and bacterial pathogens at these sites. Therefore, we investigated the possible role of IgA in the protection of the respiratory mucosa against mycobacterial infections, using mice deficient in IgA and in the polymeric Ig receptor. We show that, deficient mice are more susceptible to mycobacterial infections than wild type mice, thereby demonstrating a role for IgA in protection against mycobacteria. Importantly, our studies revealed a reduced production of protective factors, such as INF-gamma and TNF-alpha in the lungs of deficient mice that was associated with the higher susceptibility seen in these mice compared to wild-type mice. We also conducted challenge experiments against another respiratory pathogen, Chlamydia pneumoniae, using IgA deficient mice. Likewise to mycobacteria, our data support a role for IgA in the protection of the respiratory tract against C. pneumoniae infection. Finally, we investigated the possible mechanisms explaining the reduced pro-inflammatory responses in IgA deficient mice. Our data indicated that IgA deficient mice present a defective response to stimulation with LPS or 19kDa which appears to be both, essentially due to suboptimal stimulation of macrophages and restricted to the lungs.

The immense global tuberculosis (TB) burden highlights the shortcomings of current vaccination and antibiotic regimens. Novel prophylactic TB vaccines that can either boost or replace BCG entirely remains an active area of research. Additionally, the success of current antibiotic therapies against TB is hindered by their complexity and duration, with large percentages of patients failing to complete treatment. Multi-armed approaches are required to properly and efficiently combat diseases. Besides prophylactic vaccines, development of therapeutic vaccine strategies as an adjunct to antibiotic treatment would represent another major step in TB control. To achieve such a goal, vaccines must consider the pathogen’s life cycle, the immunological responses which they drive, and the populations in which they will ultimately be administered. As such, the purpose of this dissertation is to utilize state-of-the-art molecular cloning techniques to construct novel chimpanzee adenovirus-vectored vaccines that provide prophylactic and therapeutic immunity against pulmonary TB. By considering different phases of the pathogen’s life cycle, we aim to select a collection of antigens that are protective, regardless of disease state. Development of such platforms would lay and bolster the groundwork for improved vaccine strategies against TB. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Toxoplasma gondii vs radiação ionizante: Imunidade humoral e celular em baço e intestino de camundongos isogênicos imunizados com taquizoítos irradiados por Cobalto 60 Andrés Jimenez Galisteo Jr. Estudamos o desenvolvimento de uma vacina para toxoplasmose utilizando a radiação ionizante como ferramenta. Aqui avaliamos o desenvolvimento da imunidade sistêmica e intestinal e a resistência à infecção, em diferentes camundongos imunizados, por via oral e parenteral, com taquizoítos irradiados a 255 Gy e desafiados com cistos da cepa ME49. Camundongos C57Bl/6j, BALB/c e C57Bl/6j IFN--/- foram imunizados com 107 taquizoitos de T. gondii irradiados a 255Gy por diferentes vias. As preparações de taquizoítos irradiados, por via oral e parenteral, induziram produção de imunoglobulinas IgG e IgA no soro de camundongos, sendo predominante a subclasse de IgG2b, determinadas por ELISA. A produção de IgM foi mínima. Os animais imunizados pela via parenteral, apresentaram uma maturação mais rápida da avidez de anticorpos IgG que os animais imunizados por via oral. Houve excreção de IgG, IgA e IgM nas fezes dos animais imunizados, mais intensa nos animais imunizados por via oral. No estudo da imunidade celular induzida por antígeno e detectada for real-time PCR, houve uma grande produção de IFN- por células esplênicas, menor por células das placas de Peyer intestinais, onde houve maior produção de IL-2. Houve proteção em todos os nossos esquemas avaliados, maior nos animais BALB/c. Os animais deficientes de IFN-, não foram afetados pelo processo de imunização e apresentaram produção de IgG e IgA sérico e excreção de S-IgA e S-IgM nas fezes, com menor numero de cistos cerebrais em animais imunizados por via parenteral. Todos nossos dados apontam para a possibilidade do desenvolvimento de uma vacina oral para toxoplasmose, utilizando taquizoítos irradiados, com aplicação prática na imunização de felinos domésticos e selvagens. / We are developing a vaccine for toxoplasmosis, using ionizing radiation as a tool. Here we analyzed the production of sytemic and intestinal immunity, with protection studies, in several strains of inbred mice, by oral or parenteral route, using 255 Gy irradiated tachyzoites of T. gondii RH strain, with challenge with cysts of ME- 49 strain. C57Bl/6j, BALB/c and C57Bl/6j IFN--/- mice were immunized with 107 irradiated tachyzoites, be parenteral or oral route. Those preparations, both by parenteral or oral routes, induced the production of specific IgG, mainly of the IgG2b subclass, and IgA immunoglobulins in serum, , as determined by ELISA. IgM production was negligible. Parenteral immunized mice showed higher IgG avidity maturation, as compared to oral immunized mice. Fecal excretion of IgG, IgA and IgM was detected in stools of immunized animals, more intense in oral immunized mice. In cellular immunity studies, induced by antigen, with detection of cytokine production by quantitative real-time PCR, there are a great production of IFN- by spleen cells, with lower levels in Peyer patches cells, where there are a greater IL-2 production. Challenge studies in immunized mice demonstrated protection to infection in all used schedules, greater in BALB/c mice. C57Bl/6j IFN--/- mice, when immunized, showed no signs of disease and produced similar or greater levels of antibodies than wild type mice. They also excreted S-IgA and S-IgM in stools, but with low numbers of brain cysts in parenteral immunized mice, despite similar mortality. Our data points to a fair possibility of use of those irradiated parasites as an oral vaccine, devised to use for veterinary or wild felines vaccination, reducing the production of oocysts by those hosts and interrupting the chain transmission of human toxoplasmosis.

O resveratrol, um polifenol de origem natural, é descrito como uma substância antiinflamatória, antioxidante, cardioprotetora e anticancerígena. Diversos estudos comprovam a atividade imunomodulatória do resveratrol in vitro e in vivo, estimulando ou diminuindo a secreção de citocinas envolvidas na resposta Th1/Th2. Além do uso em vacinas como adjuvantes, a descoberta de novas substâncias imunomodulatórias pode ser aplicada na profilaxia e tratamento de doenças imunodegenerativas com perda da tolerância sistêmica ou periférica. O objetivo desse estudo é relacionar o efeito modulador do resveratrol em ensaios de endocitose em macrófagos e de secreção de citocinas IL-6(produção de IgA) e IL-10(resposta Th2 e tolerância em mucosas) com a produção de anticorpos anti-ova IgG e IgA após imunização via-oral. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que in vitro, houve aumento da endocitose em macrófagos e diminuição na secreção de IL-6 pelas células isoladas de placas de peyer em concentrações abaixo de 50 &#181;M de resveratrol. Após a administração oral de resveratrol de 5 mg e 10 mg/kg observou-se o aumento significativo da secreção de IL-10 em esplenócitos isolados de camundongos Balb/C. Nos grupos imunizados com 1 mg de ovalbumina/animal e resveratrol (5 mg e 10 mg/kg) via oral 2 vezes, com 14 dias de intervalos, houve aumento significativo da produção de IgG sérico em relação ao grupo imunizado somente com ovalbumina. Porém a produção de IgA sérico e em lavado intestinal diminuiu, indicando um possível aumento da tolerância oral. Esses resultados demonstram o efeito imunomodulador do resveratrol in vitro/in vivo e a necessidade de maiores estudos sobre o uso desta substãncia como adjuvante de vacinas ou uma droga imunossupressora de mucosa. / Resveratrol, a polyphenol of natural origin, is described as a substance-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective and anticancer. Several studies have demonstrated the immunomodulatory activity of resveratrol in vitro and in vivo, stimulating or decreasing the secretion of cytokines involved in Th1/Th2 response. Besides the use as adjuvants in vaccines, the discovery of new immunomodulatory substances can be applied for prophylaxis and treatment of diseases imunodegenerativas with loss of peripheral tolerance or systemic. The aim of this study is to relate the modulating effect of resveratrol on tests of endocytosis in macrophages and secretion of IL-6 (IgA production) and IL-10 (Th2 response and mucosal tolerance) with the production of anti-ova IgG and IgA after oral immunization route. The results of in vitro tests showed an increase of endocytosis in macrophages and decrease in IL-6 secretion by cells isolated from Peyer\'s patches at concentrations below 50 mM of resveratrol. After oral administration of resveratrol 10 mg / kg was observed to significantly increase the secretion of IL-10 in splenocytes isolated from Balb / C. In groups immunized with 1 mg ovalbumin / animal and resveratrol (5 mg and 10 mg / kg) orally two times with 14 days intervals, significant increase of IgG level in relation to the group immunized with ovalbumin only. But the production of IgA in serum and intestinal lavage decreased, indicating a possible increase in oral tolerance. These results demonstrate the immunomodulatory effect of resveratrol in vitro / in vivo and the need for more studies on substance use as a vaccine adjuvant or immunosuppressive drugs mucosa.