Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (
NSAIDs) inhibit
cyclooxygenase (COX) activity and are commonly used for
pain relief and
fever reduction.
NSAIDs are used following childhood vaccinations and
cancer immunotherapies; however, how
NSAIDs influence the development of immunity following these
therapies is unknown. We hypothesized that
NSAIDs would modulate the development of an immune response to Listeria monocytogenes-based
immunotherapy. Treatment of mice with the nonspecific COX inhibitor
indomethacin impaired the generation of cell-mediated immunity. This phenotype was due to inhibition of the inducible COX-2
enzyme, as treatment with the COX-2-selective inhibitor
celecoxib similarly inhibited the development of immunity. In contrast, loss of COX-1 activity improved immunity to L. monocytogenes Impairments in immunity were independent of bacterial burden, dendritic cell costimulation, or innate immune cell infiltrate. Instead, we observed that
PGE2 production following L. monocytogenes is critical for the formation of an Ag-specific CD8+ T cell response. Use of the alternative
analgesic acetaminophen did not impair immunity. Taken together, our results suggest that COX-2 is necessary for optimal CD8+ T cell responses to L. monocytogenes, whereas COX-1 is detrimental. Use of
pharmacotherapies that spare COX-2 activity and the production of
PGE2 like
acetaminophen will be critical for the generation of optimal antitumor responses using L. monocytogenes.