title: Frequency of IFN-gamma producing cells correlates with adjuvant enhancement of bacille Calmette-Guèrin induced protection against Mycobacterium bovis.
abstract: Tuberculosis caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Mycobacterium bovis remains one of the most important infectious diseases of man and animals. The current vaccine M. bovis Calmette-Guérin (BCG) demonstrates variable efficacy and so a more robust strategy to either replace, or more likely supplement it, is required. Prime-boost strategies where immunity induced by BCG is boosted by a second heterologous vaccine represent a promising avenue of research. We have evaluated the ability of a protein subunit vaccine using the antigen Rv3019c to either prime or boost immunity induced by BCG in a murine M. bovis challenge model. Despite the induction of anamnestic T cell responses, we report that antigen-independent immune stimulation with adjuvant in conjunction with BCG could enhance the level of protection induced by BCG alone. Importantly this improved protection correlated with pre-infection frequencies of ex vivo IFN-gamma producing cells in the spleen, providing a possible surrogate correlate of protection for future vaccination studies.
authors.affiliation: TB Research Group, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Department of Bacterial Diseases, Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: R Glyn
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hewinson
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hogarth
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma