title: Hepatitis E virus chimeric DNA vaccine elicits immunologic response in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To construct the plasmid pcHEV23 containing fragments of HEV ORF2 and ORF3 chimeric gene and to assess its ability to elicit specific immunologic response in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The gene encoding the structural protein of HEV ORF2 fragment and full-length ORF3 was amplified by PCR. The PCR products were cloned into an eucaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3. The resulting plasmid pcHEV23 was used as a DNA vaccine to inoculate BALB/c mice intramuscularly thrice at a dose of 100 or 200 microg. Mice injected with empty pcDNA3 DNA or saline served as control and then specific immune responses in the mice were detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 2-3 times of inoculation, all mice injected with pcHEV23 had anti-HEV IgG seroconversion and specific T lymphocyte proliferation. The lymphocyte stimulation index in the group immunized with pcHEV23 (3.1+/-0.49) was higher than that in the control group (0.787+/-0.12, P<0.01). None in the control group had a detectable level of anti-HEV IgG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DNA vaccine containing HEV ORF2 and ORF3 chimeric gene can successfully induce specific humoral and cellular immune response in mice.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioengineering, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Lian-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Luo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Yi-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hua-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines