title: Fusion of HBsAg and prime/boosting augment Th1 and CTL responses to HCV polytope DNA vaccine.
abstract: Correlation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) spontaneous resolution with Th1 and CD8(+)CTL responses during natural infection implies the potentiality of poly-CTL-epitopic HCV vaccines. We recently reported in silico design and construction of DNA vaccines (pcPOL-plasmids) harboring HCV CTL epitopes. Herein, we provide data of mice immunization by pcPOL, (encoding; core(132-142) [C], E2(405-414) [E(4)], E2(614-622) [E(6)] and NS3(1406-1415) [N] CD8(+)CTL epitopes as CE(4)E(6)N polytope) and its HBsAg-fused counterpart (pcHPOL), compared to the adjuvant-formulated (Montanide+CpG) CE(4)E(6)N synthetic-peptide immunization. All vaccinated groups developed different levels of cellular responses, however, only the pcHPOL-immunized mice elicited strong CTLs and IFN-gamma-secreting cells that were further augmented towards a Th1 response and partial tumor protection by DNA-prime/peptide-boosting regimen. Priming with HBsAg alone could not afford its augmenting effect indicating the importance of priming by polytope itself. Hence, fusion of immunocarriers like HBsAg conjoined with DNA-prime/peptide-boost immunization regimen seems a strategy to enhance the epitope-specific immune responses towards poly-CTL-epitopic vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis & AIDS Department-NRGB Laboratory, Pasteur institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Memarnejadian
authors.forename: Farzin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roohvand
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines