Deviation of immune response to Chlamydia psittaci outer membrane protein in lipopolysaccharide-hyporesponsive mice

The outcome of infection is determined by both the quantity and the quality of an induced immune response. In particular, it has been demonstrated for selected pathogens that induction of TH1 or TH2 type helper T-cell subsets determines whether an immune response gives rise to protective immunity or disease-associated immunopathology. The nature of the antigen and the type of antigen-presenting cells recruited in the induction of a response are critical factors that influence the quality of the immune response. Of particular interest in this respect is the immune response to bacterial particles and the impact of cell wall-associated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on that response. Nonspecific activation of macrophages and B lymphocytes by LPS could skew the phenotype of activated antigen-presenting cells and selectively alter the immunoglobulin isotypes and helper T-cell subsets that are induced following infection. In an initial attempt to detect immune deviation associated with LPS stimulation, we have compared the immunoglobulin isotypes of antibodies specific for the cysteine-rich outer membrane protein Omp2 induced in normal and LPS-hyporesponsive mice following immunization with Chlamydia psittaci strain guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis whole elementary bodies. We report that there is a dramatic shift of Omp2-specific antibody from predominantly immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a) isotype in LPS-hyporesponsive mice to high levels of IgG1 isotype in LPS-responder strains. The dependence of the IgG1 isotype shift on the LPS responder status is linked to the structure of the antigen and its natural processing pathway since LPS-hyporesponsive mice are not, in general, deficient in IgG1 antibody production. In particular, the antibody response to purified recombinant Omp2 is predominantly of the IgG1 isotype even in LPS-hyporesponsive mice.