HIV-1 Gag p24-Nef fusion peptide induces cellular and humoral immune response in a mouse model.
Many Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) candidate vaccines have been tested in clinical trials, but none was sufficiently effective in the prevention of HIV infection. A HIV vaccine should induce humoral as well as cell-mediated response, the latter including the cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocyte (CTL) response. In this study, we immunized BALB/c mice with a purified fusion peptide Gag p24-Nef and evaluated immune responses. As for the cellular responses, the adjuvanted fusion peptide induced lymphocyte proliferation, CTL response, and cytokines IFN-gamma and IL-4 in the Th1 pattern. Humoral immune response to the adjuvanted fusion peptide included an increase in IgG antibodies of more IgG2a than IgG1 subtype. These results indicate that the employed HIV-1 peptide construct can elicit both cellular and humoral immune responses in mice. Further studies aimed at memory T cells and other aspects of immune responses are needed before a comprehensive assessment of this candidate vaccine could be provided.


BACKGROUND
epitopes; fusion peptide; HIV-1 p24-Nef; immune response.
Mahdavi
M
M
Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Ebtekar
M
M
Azadmanesh
K
K
Khorramkhorshid
H R
HR
Rahbarizadeh
F
F
Yazdi
M H
MH
Zabihollahi
R
R
Abolhassani
M
M
Hassan
Z M
ZM
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000276:immunology*
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C514837:nef protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; C514799:p24 protein, Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma