Transcutaneous Immunization Induces a Higher Antibody Immune Response than Parenteral Immunization

Transcutaneous immunization is a novel strategy of vaccination that utilizes a topical application of antigen to intact skin for induction of immune responses. In this study, we have assessed the potential for application of transcutaneous immunization for development of novel vaccine delivery system. When BALB/c mice were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) by direct application to shaved skin, OVA-specific serum IgG as well as IgA antibody responses were induced. Interestingly, OVA-specific serum IgG responses were higher than those induced by the intraperitonial immunization. Antigen-specific cell proliferative responses confirmed the antibody titers and showed that significantly higher levels of OVA-specific proliferative responses were induced in the CD4+ T cells from spleen of mice transcutaneously immunized with OVA when compared with levels induced in CD4+ T cells from mice given OVA intraperitonially. Interestingly, while OVA-specific T helper cells from mice immunized intraperitonially produced high IFN-γ with low IL-4 when restimulated with OVA in vitro, transcutaneous immunization resulted in the induction of low IFN-γ with high IL-4 responses. Finally, transcutaneous, but not intraperitonial, immunization with OVA elicited OVA-specific mucosal IgA antibodies in the intestinal tract. These results indicate that transcutaneous immunization may be a better antigen delivery route for induction of antigen-specific antibody responses than parenteral immunization.