Study of the Possible Mechanisms Involved in the Mucosal Immune System Activation by Lactic Acid Bacteria

¹ Centro de Referencias para Lactobacilos (CERELA), Chacabuco 145, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina, Ca' tedra de Inmunología, Instituto de Microbiología, Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumaán
² Ca' tedra de Inmunología, Instituto de Microbiología, Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumaán
³ Centro de Referencias para Lactobacilos (CERELA), Chacabuco 145, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina

The induction of a mucosal immune response is not easy due to the development of oral tolerance, but under some conditions, bacteria can activate this immune system. Antigens administered orally can interact with M cells of Peyer's patches or bind to the epithelial cells. We have demonstrated that certain lactic acid bacteria are able to induce specific secretory immunity, and others will enhance the gut inflammatory immune response. The aim of this work was to establish the reason for these different behaviors and to define possible mechanisms involved in the interaction of lactic acid bacteria at the intestinal level. We studied IgA⁺ and IgM⁺ B cells comparatively in bronchus and intestine and CD4⁺ T cells and IgA anti-lactic acid bacteria antibodies in the intestinal fluid, induced by oral administration of Lactobacillus casei, Lb. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Lb. acidophilus, Lb. plantarum, Lb. rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis, and Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus. The increase in the IgA⁺ B cells in the bronchus means that these lactic acid bacteria were able to induce the IgA cycle by interaction with M cells from Peyer's patches or intestinal epithelial cells. The IgM⁺ cells increased when the stimulus did not induce the switch from IgM⁺ to IgA⁺. The increase in the CD4⁺ cells suggests interaction of Peyer's patches and enhancement of the B- and T-cell migration. The anti-lactic acid bacteria antibody is related to the processing and presentation of the microorganisms to the immune cells. We demonstrated that Lb. casei and Lb. plantarum were able to interact with Peyer's patch cells and showed an increase in IgA⁺, CD4+ cells, and antibodies specific for the stimulating strain. Lactobacillus acidophilus induced gut mucosal activation by interaction with the epithelial cells without increase in the immune cells associated with the bronchus. Although Lb. rhamnosus and Strep. salivarius ssp. thermophilus interact with epithelial cells, they also induced an immune response against their epitopes. Lactococcus lactis and Lb. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus induced an increase of IgA⁺ cells entering the IgA cycle but not CD4+ cells; thus, these bacteria would have been bound to epithelial cells that activated B lymphocytes without processing and presenting of their epitopes. We did not determine specific antibodies against Lc. lactis or Lb. bulgaricus.

Key Words: lactic acid bacteria • intestinal interactions • immunomodulation

Submitted on September 28, 1998
Accepted on January 11, 1999

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. de Moreno de LeBlanc, C. Matar, E. Farnworth, and G. Perdigon Study of Immune Cells Involved in the Antitumor Effect of Kefir in a Murine Breast Cancer Model J Dairy Sci, April 1, 2007; 90(4): 1920 - 1928. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Matsuzaki, A. Takagi, H. Ikemura, T. Matsuguchi, and T. Yokokura Intestinal Microflora: Probiotics and Autoimmunity J. Nutr., March 1, 2007; 137(3): 798S - 802S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. A. Aires, A. M. Cianciarullo, S. M. Carneiro, L. L. Villa, E. Boccardo, G. Perez-Martinez, I. Perez-Arellano, M. L. S. Oliveira, and P. L. Ho Production of Human Papillomavirus Type 16 L1 Virus-Like Particles by Recombinant Lactobacillus casei Cells Appl. Envir. Microbiol., January 1, 2006; 72(1): 745 - 752. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Ingrassia, A. Leplingard, and A. Darfeuille-Michaud Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 Inhibits the Ability of Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli Isolated from Crohn's Disease Patients To Adhere to and To Invade Intestinal Epithelial Cells Appl. Envir. Microbiol., June 1, 2005; 71(6): 2880 - 2887. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Villena, S. Racedo, G. Aguero, E. Bru, M. Medina, and S. Alvarez Lactobacillus casei Improves Resistance to Pneumococcal Respiratory Infection in Malnourished Mice J. Nutr., June 1, 2005; 135(6): 1462 - 1469. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Rodgers Technological developments and the need for technical competencies in food services The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, May 1, 2005; 125(3): 117 - 123. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. Oozeer, D. D. G. Mater, N. Goupil-Feuillerat, and G. Corthier Initiation of Protein Synthesis by a Labeled Derivative of the Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 Strain during Transit from the Stomach to the Cecum in Mice Harboring Human Microbiota Appl. Envir. Microbiol., December 1, 2004; 70(12): 6992 - 6997. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. LeBlanc, I. Fliss, and C. Matar Induction of a Humoral Immune Response following an Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infection with an Immunomodulatory Peptidic Fraction Derived from Lactobacillus helveticus-Fermented Milk Clin. Vaccine Immunol., November 1, 2004; 11(6): 1171 - 1181. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A D G Anderson, C E McNaught, P K Jain, and J MacFie Randomised clinical trial of synbiotic therapy in elective surgical patients Gut, February 1, 2004; 53(2): 241 - 245. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. G. LeBlanc, C. Matar, J. C. Valdez, J. LeBlanc, and G. Perdigon Immunomodulating Effects of Peptidic Fractions Issued from Milk Fermented with Lactobacillus helveticus J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2002; 85(11): 2733 - 2742. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Oozeer, N. Goupil-Feuillerat, C. A. Alpert, M. van de Guchte, J. Anba, J. Mengaud, and G. Corthier Lactobacillus casei Is Able To Survive and Initiate Protein Synthesis during Its Transit in the Digestive Tract of Human Flora-Associated Mice Appl. Envir. Microbiol., July 1, 2002; 68(7): 3570 - 3574. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]