CpG oligodeoxinucleotides functions as an effective adjuvant in aged BALB/c mice.

During aging, there is an increased rise in susceptibility to infectious diseases. However, it is still unresolved whether standard vaccine adjuvants are efficient in the elderly. We report that immunization with OVA plus synthetic oligodeoxinucleotides containing immunostimulatory CpG motifs (CpG-ODN) stimulates specific Th1 response in aged mice.

Age-related changes in the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

A prominent feature of multiple sclerosis is its high incidence of onset in the third decade of life and its relatively rare onset in persons older than 50 years. In order to study age-related restriction of clinical expression, a comparative biochemical, immunological and histological study was undertaken during development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in young (7 weeks) and middle-aged (15 months) Wistar rats. Young rats showed characteristic clinical signs 12-16 days postinduction, and then they spontaneously recuperated.

CpG-DNA stimulates cellular and humoral immunity and promotes Th1 differentiation in aged BALB/c mice.

We examined whether CpG-DNA could be used as adjuvant to induce a T helper cell type-1 (Th1) immunity in aged BALB/c mice that showed a Th2 polarization. Bordetella pertussis and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) were used as well. Immunization with ovalbumin (OVA)/CpG-DNA showed that the immunoglobulin G (IgG)2a/IgG1 ratio and OVA-specific T cell response were similar in young and aged mice.