title: Immunogenicity and efficacy of a bacterially expressed HEV ORF3 peptide, assessed by experimental infection of primates.
abstract: A 12.4-kDa peptide, corresponding to the entire ORF3 protein of hepatitis E virus (HEV), derived from human HEV genotype 4 and expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with a 17.5-kDa fragment of interleukin (IL)-1beta at the N-terminus, was recognized by HEV-reactive sera. Eight monkeys were immunized with the purified peptide, and seven were used as non-immunized controls. All 15 monkeys were challenged with HEV genotype 1 or 4. All control animals developed infection and hepatitis, and all but one vaccinated monkey became infected. Nevertheless, the vaccine was effective in reducing the virus titer and shortening the duration of viremia and fecal shedding. Furthermore, the vaccine provided some protection against hepatitis (1 of 2 monkeys in the two-dose regimen and 4 of 6 in the three-dose regimen did not develop severe hepatitis) compared to the controls. These results suggest that immunization with the bacterially expressed peptide may partially prevent experimental hepatitis, and even infection, in primates, following intravenous challenge with high doses of two HEV genotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, No. 2 Tiantanxili, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xiaoguo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Rongcheng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guoyong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Heqiu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Youchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; C400973:ORF3 protein, Hepatitis E virus; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; D014764:Viral Proteins