The IgG subclass responses induced by wild-type, cold-adapted and purified haemagglutinin from influenza virus A/Queensland/6/72 in CBA/CaH mice.

The IgG subclass and IgA responses were investigated in CBA/CaH mice after inoculation with wild-type (wt) and cold-adapted (ca) derivatives of influenza A/Queensland/6/72 virus, and with purified haemagglutinin (H3) derived from the wt strain of the same virus. Intranasal inoculation of the wt and ca viruses resulted in responses dominated by IgG2a in serum, saliva and lung secretions, whereas an intramuscular injection of purified H3 elicited the production of all four IgG subclasses in serum and IgG2b and IgG3 in saliva and lung secretions. The source of IgG on mucosal surfaces was from local production and was not a transudate from serum, as demonstrated by the lack of albumin in saliva and lung secretions, and by the appearance in saliva and lung samples of IgG subclasses not present in serum at the time of sampling. The level of IgA on mucosal surfaces was influenced by the growth restrictions of intranasally inoculated ca virus, resulting in higher levels of IgA in saliva, whereas wt virus, able to replicate at higher temperatures, induced higher levels of IgA in lung secretions. The purified H3 inoculated by the intramuscular route elicited lower levels of IgA in serum, saliva and lung secretions than either the wt or ca viruses.