title: Immunity induced by DNA immunization with herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoproteins B and C.
abstract: The complete sequence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) glycoproteins B and C (gB & gC) were cloned into plasmid expression vectors and evaluated in murine and guinea pig genital HSV-2 models. Balb/c mice were immunized with either pgB-2 or pgC-2 plasmids intramuscularly (IM) or intradermally (ID). The vaccines induced HSV-2-specific neutralizing and ELISA IgG antibody, but little or no enhancement of viral clearance from the vagina was detected following intravaginal challenge. Immunization of guinea pigs with pgB-2 or pgC-2 induced ELISA IgG antibody; however, antibody titers were approximately one log(10) unit lower than that seen in HSV-2 convalescent sera. IM immunization of guinea pigs with either plasmid also did not decrease vaginal viral shedding following vaginal challenge, but the severity of the acute disease and the subsequent number of recurrent lesion days were reduced in animals immunized with pgB-2. Lastly, IM immunization of latently infected guinea pigs with a combined gB-2 and gC-2 plasmid vaccine significantly reduced the number of subsequent HSV-2 recurrences. DNA vectors expressing gB-2 or gC-2 were both immunogenic, although the gB-2 plasmid induced higher titers of antibody and significantly reduced primary and recurrent herpetic disease in the guinea pig model. These results also suggest that immunotherapy with plasmid expression vectors may be effective against recurrent genital HSV-2 disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mester
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Twomey
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Tepe
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D010957:Plasmids; D011817:Rabbits; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014621:Vagina / Q000821:virology; D014709:Vero Cells; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C044525:glycoprotein B, herpes simplex virus type 2; C048232:glycoprotein C, herpes simplex virus type 2