The effect of exposure to chemical substance with bacterial toxin on the development of Th1/Th2 balance in infant mice.

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The aims of the present study were to clarify whether the respiratory tract infection and stimulation can influence development of Th1 immune response and allergic reaction or not, and to investigate the effects of co-stimulation of the respiratory tract infectious agent with toluene which is one of the causative factors for chemical sensitivity and sick house syndrome can affect Th1/Th2 balance in infant mice using an allergic mouse model. Our findings indicate that (1) respiratory tract infection and stimulation with cell wall component of gram positive bacteria, peptidoglycan (PGN) does not affect development of Th1 immune response and allergic reaction in infant mice with ovalbumin (OVA) immunization ; (2) subcutaneous inoculation with BCG vaccine enhanced Th1 response via increased plasma IgG2a antibody and IFN-γexpression in lung and spleen of OVA immunized mice (this finding clearly shows that although BCG inoculation did not induce respiratory tract stimulation, it can be used for induction of Th1 response) ; (3) low level toluene exposure only from fetal to neonatal stage may enhance the systemic Th2 function in infant mice, however, the co-exposure of low level toluene with PGN shifted Th1/Th2 immunity to suppressive direction ; (4) in addition, the co-exposure of low level toluene with PGN in infant stage altered both Th1 and Th2 dependent blood Ig antibody level in 3 week-old mice.