title: DNA vaccination of ferrets with chimeric influenza A virus hemagglutinin (H3) genes.
abstract: Recently a technology was established based on homologous recombination that allowed the rapid generation of chimeric HA genes of influenza viruses, containing the antigenic determinants obtained from various influenza virus A (H3N2) viruses. In the present report plasmids were generated using a H3 HA vector handle and the hypervariable regions of two genetically distinct influenza A H3N2 viruses, A/Stockholm/7/97 and A/Netherlands/18/94. In a ferret model it was shown that immunisation with plasmid DNA encoding chimeric HA indeed elicited antibody responses specific for the virus from which the hypervariable region with the antigenic determinants were obtained. After DNA-immunisation of the ferrets, protective immunity against infection with influenza virus A/Netherlands/18/94 was evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, SE-17182 Solna, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ljungberg
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kolmskog
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wahren
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Amerongen
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baars
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linde
authors.forename: Guus
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rimmelzwaan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005289:Ferrets; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA