Enhancing cellular immune response to HBV M DNA vaccine in mice by codelivery of interleukin-18 recombinant.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of interleukin-18 (IL-18) on immune response induced by plasmid encoding hepatitis B virus middle protein antigen and to explore new strategies for prophylactic and therapeutic HBV DNA vaccines.


METHODS
BALB/c mice were immunized with pCMV-M alone or co-immunized with pcDNA3-18 and pCMV-M and then their sera were collected for analysing anti-HBsAg antibody by ELISA; splenocytes were isolated for detecting specific CTL response and cytokine assay in vitro.


RESULTS
The anti-HBs antibody level of mice co-immunized with pcDNA3-18 and pCMV-M was slightly higher than that of mice immunized with pCMV-M alone, but there was not significantly different (P>0.05). Compared with mice injected with pCMV-M, the specific CTL cytotoxity activity of mice immunized with pcDNA3-18 and pCMV-M was significantly enhanced (P<0.05) and the level of IFN-Gamma in supernatant of splenocytes cul-tured with HBsAg in vitro was significantly elevated (P<0.05) while the level of IL-4 had no significant difference (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The plasmid encoding IL-18 together with HBV M gene DNA vaccines may enhance specific TH1 cells and CTL cellular immune response induced in mice, so that IL-18 is a promising immune adjuvant.
Institute of Immunology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310031, China. chenjzh@mail.hz.zj.cn
Jian-zhong
JZ
Chen
Hai-hong
HH
Zhu
Ke-zhou
KZ
Liu
Zhi
Z
Chen
D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D016207:Cytokines; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D020382:Interleukin-18; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins