Arousal of mucosal secretory immunoglobulin A antitoxin in rats immunized with Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin.

Specific serum and mucosal antitoxin levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in rats immunized with Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT). Immunization by means of a parenteral prime followed by peroral boosts was the only approach that aroused titers of both serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antitoxin and mucosal secretory IgA antitoxin that were increased fourfold or more over control values. Primary parenteral immunization was effective when given either intraperitoneally or subcutaneously with either Freund complete adjuvant or alum as the adjuvant. The magnitude of the nucosal secretory IgA antitoxin response and the degree of protection against challenge with either LT or viable LT-producing organisms were related to the number and dosage of peroral boosts. LT antigenicity, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was progressively reduced by toxoiding it with increasing amounts of glutaraldehyde or a carbodiimide; when LT antigenicity was reduced by greater than 50%, the effectiveness of the toxoid in stimulating mucosal antitoxin and providing protection was compromised. Strong protection extended for more than 6 weeks only in rats immunized with a sufficient peroral dosage of LT to arouse mucosal secretory IgA antitoxin titers at least fourfold greater than those of controls. These observations indicate that the ability of LT to stimulate a mucosal secretory IgA antitoxin response is dependent on the antigenicity, route, and dosage of this immunogen; they suggest that the duration of protection in animals immunized by the peroral route is related to the extent of arousal of mucosal secretory IgA antitoxin.