title: The immune response of the Chacma baboon to Bacille Calmette Guerin: development of a primate model for BCG-based vaccine research.
abstract: Mycobacterium bovis Bacilli Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is used increasingly as an efficient vector for expression of recombinant proteins to induce a strong cell-mediated immunity. Here, we tested the immune response of Chacma baboons to the Tokyo and Pasteur strains of BCG in order to obtain base-line information on the response of this primate to BCG. While a humoral immune response to BCG was detected only in some vaccinated baboons, a cellular immune response characterized by a PPD-specific delayed hypersensitivity response and BCG-specific IFN-gamma production from PBMC was a consistent finding. These responses were long-lived and could be detected beyond a year after a booster inoculation at 20 weeks. The results thus suggest that the Chacma baboon may be used as a non-human primate for the evaluation of recombinant BCG vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Rd, Observertory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Chege
authors.forename: A-L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Passmore
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bourn
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ryffel
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Shephard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology*; D048549:Papio ursinus; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine