Inhalation of a steam-mixed gas containing hydrogen gas enhances the salivary titers of immunoglobulin A against pathogenic hemagglutinin antigens derived from influenza virus strains in healthy volunteers

Abstract

　水素発生装置（スイソニア）から発生する水素ガス（濃度0.1%～ 0.3%）を含む蒸気混合ガスXENを鼻カニューラで吸入した。吸入後、A型およびB型インフルエンザウイルス由来のhemagglutinin（HA）抗原に対する唾液中IgA2抗体価を自主開発の酵素免疫測定法で解析した。その結果、XEN吸入15分後、A型インフルエンザウイルス株（A/California/7/2009/H1N1とA/Hong Kong/4801/2014/H3N2）由来のHA抗原に対する唾液中IgA2抗体価は、吸入前と比較して有意に増加した（P=0.028およびP=0.047）。さらに、XEN吸入15分後、A型とB型インフルエンザウイルス株（A/Singapore/GP1908/2015/H1N1、A/HongKong/4801/2014/H3N2、B/Texas/2/2013/Victoria system、B/Phuket/1307/2013 /Yamagata system）由来のHA抗原（ワクチンタイプ）に対する唾液中IgA2抗体価も吸入前と比較して有意に増加した（P=0.039）。以上の結果から、XENにはHA抗原に対する唾液中IgA2抗体価の増強作用があることがわかった。In a previous study, we demonstrated a significant increase in the salivary interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levelsfollowing the administration, via inhalation, of a steam-mixed gas containing hydrogen gas (designated asXEN) in healthy volunteers. In this study, we examined the salivary titers of immunoglobulin A2 (IgA2)directed against pathogenic hemagglutinin (HA) antigens derived from influenza virus strains(hereinafter, shortened to IgA2) after XEN administration by inhalation via a nasal cannula for 15 min inhealthy volunteers. The salivary titers of IgA2 directed against HA antigens were measured using anoriginally constructed enzyme immunoassay system. The results indicated significant increases of thesalivary IgA2 directed against the HA antigens derived from the following influenza virus strains after15 min of XEN inhalation, as compared to the titers recorded prior to the inhalation: A/California/7/2009/H1N1 (P = 0.028), A/Hong Kong/4801/2014/H3N2 (P = 0.047), vaccine-type containingHA antigens derived from influenza virus strains, A/Singapore/GP1908/2015/H1N1, A/HongKong/4801/2014/H3N2, B/Texas/2/2013/Victoria system, and B/Phuket/1307/2013 /Yamagata system(P = 0.039). Taken together, XEN rapidly enhanced the salivary titers of IgA2 directed against HAantigens derived from influenza viruses, which may imply a role in the protection against influenza virusinfection by activation of humoral immunity (IgA2 action) in the whole body via the nasal mucosalimmune system