title: Construction of an HBV DNA vaccine by fusion of the GM-CSF gene to the HBV-S gene and examination of its immune effects in normal and HBV-transgenic mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA vaccine can generate both HBsAg-specific humoral and cellular immune responses. The immune response can be improved by inclusion of an adjuvant, such as the cytokine GM-CSF which is known to be a very good adjuvant.
  
  
  METHODS
  To investigate the ability of GM-CSF to enhance HBV-DNA vaccines, we constructed the plasmids by fusion of GM-CSF gene to the HBV-S gene. Normal and HBV-transgenic mice were then immunized with these plasmids.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results show that pCDNA3.1-GM-CSF-S induced the most powerful HBsAg-specific humoral and cellular immune response, and that it was able to overcome the non-response to HBsAg in HBV-transgenic mice. In contrast, pCDNA3.1-S-GM-CSF was able to induce only a very poor immune response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When the HBV-S gene is fused to the GM-CSF gene, the immune effects of the HBV DNA vaccine both in normal and HBV-transgenic mice can be strengthened and HBV-DNA plasmids fused with GM-CSF may be useful for both preventative and therapeutic purposes.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
authors.forename: Yuling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qing
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jiajiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Huaidong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Hongmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Mingli
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010957:Plasmids / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor