[Experimental study on immune responses induced in mice by gp120 gene vaccine of Chinese HIV-1 strain].
OBJECTIVE
To construct the gp120 DNA vaccine of Chinese HIV-1 strain and evaluate the immune responses induced with it in BALB/c mice.


METHODS
The recombinant expression vector pVAX1-GP120 was constructed by inserting HIV gp120 gene into the eukaryotic expression vector pVAX1 and confirmed with EcoR I/Pst I and DNA sequencing. BALB/c mice were immunized with pVAX1-GP120 and pVAX1 respectively. The levels of serum anti-HIV antibody and IFN-gamma of the immunized mice were detected by ELISA. The proliferation of splenocytes was determined by MTT colorimetry and the specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) response by LDH assay.


RESULTS
Restriction enzymes digestion analysis and DNA sequencing results revealed that the pVAX1-GP120 had been constructed successfully. The titer of anti-HIV antibody and the IFN-gamma level in mice immunized with the pVAX1-GP120 were higher than those in mice immunized with pVAX1 respectively (P<0.01). As compared with mice immunized with pVAX1 alone, the cytotoxic activity of specific CTLs and antigen-specific lymphoproliferative responses in mice immunized with pVAX1-GP120 were significantly enhanced (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Specific cellular and humoral immune responses in mice can be induced with gp120 gene vaccine of Chinese HIV-1 strain, which lays the foundation for further development of therapeutic HIV vaccine against HIV-1 infection.
Wang
Fu-xiang
FX
Center for Diagnosis & Treatment for Infectious Diseases of PLA, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical Univercity, Xi'an 710038, China. wangfuxiang999@sohu.com
Sun
Yong-tao
YT
Sun
Yong-nian
YN
Xu
Zhe
Z
Wang
Lin-xu
LX
Bai
Xue-fan
XF
Huang
Chang-xing
CX
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002455:Cell Division; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D034801:Mastocytoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010957:Plasmids; D011897:Random Allocation; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma