title: Varied immunity generated in mice by DNA vaccines with large and small hepatitis delta antigens.
abstract: Whether the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) DNA vaccine can induce anti-HDV antibodies has been debatable. The role of the isoprenylated motif of hepatitis delta antigens (HDAg) in the generation of immune responses following DNA-based immunization has never been studied. Plasmids p2577L, encoding large HDAg (L-HDAg), p2577S, expressing small HDAg (S-HDAg), and p25L-211S, encoding a mutant form of L-HDAg with a cysteine-to-serine mutation at codon 211, were constructed in this study. Mice were intramuscularly injected with the plasmids. The anti-HDV antibody titers, T-cell proliferation responses, T-helper responses, and HDV-specific, gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-producing CD8(+) T cells were analyzed. Animals immunized with p2577S showed a strong anti-HDV antibody response. Conversely, only a low titer of anti-HDV antibodies was detected in mice immunized with p2577L. Epitope mapping revealed that the anti-HDV antibodies generated by p2577L vaccination hardly reacted with epitope amino acids 174 to 194, located at the C terminus of S-HDAg. All of the HDAg-encoding plasmids could induce significant T-cell proliferation responses and generate Th1 responses and HDV-specific, IFN-gamma-producing CD8(+) T cells. In conclusion, HDAg-specific antibodies definitely exist following DNA vaccination. The magnitudes of the humoral immune responses generated by L-HDAg- and S-HDAg-encoding DNA vaccines are different. The isoprenylated motif can mask epitope amino acids 174 to 195 of HDAg but does not interfere with cellular immunity following DNA-based immunization. These findings are important for the choice of a candidate HDV DNA vaccine in the future.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi-Hsiang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jaw-Ching
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Sheng-Chieh
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Wan-Jr
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Syu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000517:prevention & control; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D035923:Hepatitis delta Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D035923:Hepatitis delta Antigens; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; C442244:hepatitis delta virus large antigen