title: Protective activity and immunogenicity of two recombinant anthrax vaccines for veterinary use.
abstract: In this study, the efficacy of two experimental vaccines against Bacillus anthracis toxinaemia was evaluated in the rabbit model. A recombinant Protective Antigen (rPA) mutant and a trivalent vaccine (TV) composed by the rPA, a inactive mutant of Lethal Factor (mLF-Y728A; E735A) and a inactive mutant of Edema Factor (mEF-K346R), both emulsified with mineral oils, were evaluated for their immunogenicity and protective activity in New Zealand white rabbits. Rabbits vaccinated subcutaneously with rPA and TV rapidly produced high level of anti-PA, anti-LF and anti-EF antibodies, which were still present 6 months later. In the efficacy test, these vaccines protected 100% of rabbits challenged with B. anthracis virulent strain 0843 one week after the vaccination. Moreover, all animals vaccinated twice with rPA and TV, resisted B. anthracis infection 6 months later. Our data indicate that rPA and TV could be good vaccine candidates for inducing protection against B. anthracis infection in target animal host. They could successfully be used in an emergency with simultaneous long-acting antibiotics to halt incubating infections or during an anthrax epidemic.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Centro Nazionale di Referenza per l'Antrace, Via Manfredonia, 20, 71100 Foggia, Italy. a.fasanella@izsfg.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fasanella
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tonello
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garofolo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muraro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carattoli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adone
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montecucco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000517:prevention & control; D022122:Anthrax Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D011817:Rabbits; D014611:Vaccination; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D014730:Veterinary Medicine
chemical_list: D022122:Anthrax Vaccines; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; C030325:anthrax toxin