Enhancement of cell-mediated immunity against HIV-1 induced by coinnoculation of plasmid-encoded HIV-1 antigen with plasmid expressing IL-12.
Previous investigations have demonstrated that CTL may play an important role in suppressing the disease progression of HIV infection. In this study, we inoculated mice with IL-12 expression plasmid together with plasmid-encoding HIV-1 envelope to enhance CTL activity by activating a Th1-type response. The results of delayed-type hypersensitivity using the footpad swelling response and of CTL activity clearly showed that HIV-1-specific cell-mediated immunity was enhanced by inoculation of the IL-12 expression plasmid. Quantitation of cytokine in the sera of IL-12-inoculated mice revealed that IFN-gamma significantly increased. The enhanced cell-mediated immunity responses were abrogated by combined administration of the IL-12 expression plasmid and neutralizing anti-IFN-gamma Ab. Together, these results suggest that enhanced virus-specific cell-mediated immunity occurred via an endogenously produced IFN-gamma by inoculation of IL-12 expression plasmid.
Tsuji
T
T
Department of Bacteriology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Japan.
Hamajima
K
K
Fukushima
J
J
Xin
K Q
KQ
Ishii
N
N
Aoki
I
I
Ishigatsubo
Y
Y
Tani
K
K
Kawamoto
S
S
Nitta
Y
Y
Miyazaki
J
J
Koff
W C
WC
Okubo
T
T
Okuda
K
K
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007114:Immunization; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D015488:HIV Antigens; D018664:Interleukin-12