SUMMARYThe IgG subclass responses to cold-adapted (ca) influenza A/Queensland/6/72 virus and purified haemagglutinin H3 was assessed in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. In BALB/c mice IgG2a was present as the major subclass in serum, lung and salivary secretions after two doses of ca virus. In contrast, the serum response in C57BL/6 mice was predominantly IgG1 after primary and secondary inoculations of ca virus. However, in lung and salivary secretions no specific subclass was dominant. When purified H3 was used as the inoculum, serum responses were dominated by IgGl in BALB/c mice after two inoculations whereas all four subclasses were present at equal levels in C57BL/6 mice. Overall the lung and salivary responses detected in C57BL/6 mice were lower than those observed in BALB/c mice with all four subclasses contributing equally to the response in BALB/c mice. The neutralizing and haemagglutination inhibition abilities of the four Protein A-Sepharose-purified IgG subclasses differed between the BALB/c, C57BL/6 and CBA/CaH mice strains. IgG1 and IgG2a were most effective in BALB/c mice and in C57BL/6 and CBA/CaH mice, IgG2a and IgG2b. These results are discussed in terms of the differing abilities of replicating and non-replicating virus to stimulate differential responses in mice and the TH1 and TH2 helper cell concept.

SUMMARYThe 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.

Studies with various viral agents have suggested that a preferential production of IgG subclasses may occur during infection, but limited information has been reported on the IgG isotypes produced during vaccination with live or killed virus preparations. The serum IgG subclass responses to influenza A infection or inoculation with live or killed influenza A vaccines were examined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and results were expressed using a 4-parameter logistic model. It was observed that IgG1 was induced by both natural infections and the live virus vaccine depending on the dose given. Inactivated vaccines induced significant titres of IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3 isotypes in vaccinees, again depending upon the amount of virus preparation administered.