Oral clarithromycin enhances airway immunoglobulin A (IgA) immunity through induction of IgA class switching recombination and B-cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family molecule on mucosal dendritic cells in mice infected with influenza A virus

J Virol. 2012 Oct;86(20):10924-34. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01207-12. Epub 2012 Aug 15.

Abstract

We previously reported that the macrolide antibiotic clarithromycin (CAM) enhanced the mucosal immune response in pediatric influenza, particularly in children treated with the antiviral neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir (OSV) with low production of mucosal antiviral secretory IgA (S-IgA). The aims of the present study were to confirm the effects of CAM on S-IgA immune responses, by using influenza A virus (IAV) H1N1-infected mice treated with or without OSV, and to determine the molecular mechanisms responsible for the induction of mucosal IgA class switching recombination in IAV-infected CAM-treated mice. The anti-IAV S-IgA responses and expression levels of IgA class switching recombination-associated molecules were examined in bronchus-lymphoid tissues and spleens of infected mice. We also assessed neutralization activities of S-IgA against IAV. Data show that CAM enhanced anti-IAV S-IgA induction in the airway of infected mice and restored the attenuated antiviral S-IgA levels in OSV-treated mice to the levels in the vehicle-treated mice. The expression levels of B-cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) molecule on mucosal dendritic cells as well as those of activation-induced cytidine deaminase and Iμ-Cα transcripts on B cells were enhanced by CAM, compared with the levels without CAM treatment, but CAM had no effect on the expression of the BAFF receptor on B cells. Enhancement by CAM of neutralization activities of airway S-IgA against IAV in vitro and reinfected mice was observed. This study identifies that CAM enhances S-IgA production and neutralizing activities through the induction of IgA class switching recombination and upregulation of BAFF molecules in mucosal dendritic cells in IAV-infected mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • B-Cell Activating Factor / immunology
  • B-Cell Activating Factor / metabolism*
  • Bronchi / immunology
  • Clarithromycin / administration & dosage
  • Clarithromycin / pharmacology*
  • Cytidine Deaminase / biosynthesis
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Female
  • Immunity, Mucosal / drug effects
  • Immunoglobulin A / immunology*
  • Immunoglobulin Class Switching*
  • Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / drug therapy
  • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / immunology*
  • Oseltamivir / pharmacology
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antiviral Agents
  • B-Cell Activating Factor
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Oseltamivir
  • Cytidine Deaminase
  • Clarithromycin