title: Adjuvant synergy in the response to hepatitis B vaccines.
abstract: The adjuvant properties of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and a phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide (S-ODN) hexamer consisting of the sequence, 5'-GACGTT-3', were evaluated in mice using hepatitis B (HBs) protein and DNA vaccines. GACGTT was an effective adjuvant when co-injected with HBs protein intramuscularly or when injected at the same anatomic site within 1 day before or 1 day after injection of the protein. Surprisingly, IL-12 had a negligible adjuvant effect when co-injected with HBsAg; however, when bound to "alum", IL-12 stimulated a dramatic increase in anti-HBs titers and a switch from a TH2 to a TH1 response profile as evidenced by an increase in IgG2a subclass anti-HBs antibodies and the ability to secrete interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) upon in vitro stimulation with an HBs peptide. Interestingly, aluminum phosphate was a far better co-adjuvant (with IL-12) than was aluminum hydroxide even though both "alums" bound >99% of the IL-12. Finally, the combination of IL-12, GACGTT, and aluminum phosphate was found to elicit a markedly polarized TH1 response. The results indicate that aluminum phosphate is highly effective at delivering an antigen (HBsAg) together with TH1 adjuvants such as IL-12 and GACGTT resulting in a shift from a TH2 to a TH1 response.
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017607:Aluminum Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000494:pharmacology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D016207:Cytokines; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D010710:Phosphates; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D018664:Interleukin-12; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide; C012714:aluminum phosphate