IMMUNE-RESPONSE MEDIATED BY LIPOSOME-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN ANTIGENS .2. COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VESICLE-ENTRAPPED AND SURFACE-ASSOCIATED ANTIGEN IN IMMUNOPOTENTIATION

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 47  (4) , 627-632
Abstract
The immunogenicity of different preparations of liposome-associated bovine serum albumin (LSM-BSA) was compared to examine the significance of the site of association beween a protein antigen and the liposomal carrier. Animals [mice] immunized with liposomes containing both entrapped and surface-adsorbed BSA, (LSM-BSA)e+a, gave a BSA-specific plaque-forming cell (PFC) response comparable with that elicited by animals immunized with trypsinized (LSM-BSA)e+a which contained mainly entrapped BSA. The PFC response elicited by animals immunized with liposomes containing BSA adsorbed on the membrane surface, (LSM-BSA)a, was significantly less than that of the other 2 groups. Animals injected with trypsinized (LSM-BSA)a only elicited a marginally detectable PFC response. Liposomes can enhance the antibody response of a protein antigen regardless of whether the antigen is entrapped within the vesicle or adsorbed on the outer surface. Entrapped antigen was more immunogenic than that which was surface-adsorbed.