Comparison of immunogenicity and protective efficacy of genital herpes vaccine candidates herpes simplex virus 2 dl5-29 and dl5-29-41L in mice and guinea pigs.
A replication-defective herpes simplex virus (HSV)-2 vaccine, dl5-29, which is deleted for two essential early genes, UL5 and UL29, is highly immunogenic and protective in mice and guinea pigs. In a prior study, a derivative of HSV-2 dl5-29 termed dl5-29-41L, which has an additional deletion in UL41 (that encodes the virion-host shut-off protein), was more immunogenic and protective against challenge with wild-type HSV-2 in mice when compared with dl5-29. To determine if deletion of UL41 improves the efficacy of dl5-29 in protecting guinea pigs from HSV-2, animals were immunized with dl5-29, dl5-29-41L, or PBS. The geometric mean neutralizing antibody titers from the dl5-29 and dl5-29-41L recipients were comparable (10(1.97) and 10(2.19), respectively, p=0.15). After intravaginal challenge with wild-type HSV-2, the dl5-29-41L and dl5-29 recipients shed similar titers of HSV-2 from the vagina. Mean acute disease severity scores, numbers of recurrences during 3 months after infection, and latent viral loads in sacral ganglia were similar for dl5-29 and dl5-29-41L (all p values >0.05). dl5-29 and dl5-29-41L completely protected mice from lethal challenge with HSV-2 and induced virus-specific CD8(+) T cells in the spleens of the animals. Thus, dl5-29 was as immunogenic and protective as dl5-29-41L under these conditions. dl5-29 was at least 250,000-fold less virulent than parental virus by intracranial inoculation in healthy mice, and caused no disease in SCID mice. Both dl5-29-41L and dl5-29 are equally effective and immunogenic in guinea pigs, and dl5-29 is very safe in immunocompromised animals.
Medical Virology Section, Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Yo
Y
Hoshino
Lesley
L
Pesnicak
Kennichi C
KC
Dowdell
Juan
J
Lacayo
Timothy
T
Dudek
David M
DM
Knipe
Stephen E
SE
Straus
Jeffrey I
JI
Cohen
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022301:Herpes Simplex Virus Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016513:Mice, SCID / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000821:virology; D014709:Vero Cells; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D022301:Herpes Simplex Virus Vaccines; C413084:UL29 protein, Herpes simplex virus type 2; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014764:Viral Proteins