A single dose of DNA vaccine based on conserved H5N1 subtype proteins provides protection against lethal H5N1 challenge in mice pre-exposed to H1N1 influenza virus.
BACKGROUND
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 infects humans with a high fatality rate and has pandemic potential. Vaccination is the preferred approach for prevention of H5N1 infection. Seasonal influenza virus infection has been reported to provide heterosubtypic immunity against influenza A virus infection to some extend. In this study, we used a mouse model pre-exposed to an H1N1 influenza virus and evaluated the protective ability provided by a single dose of DNA vaccines encoding conserved H5N1 proteins.


RESULTS
SPF BALB/c mice were intranasally infected with A/PR8 (H1N1) virus beforehand. Six weeks later, the mice were immunized with plasmid DNA expressing H5N1 virus NP or M1, or with combination of the two plasmids. Both serum specific Ab titers and IFN-gamma secretion by spleen cells in vitro were determined. Six weeks after the vaccination, the mice were challenged with a lethal dose of H5N1 influenza virus. The protective efficacy was judged by survival rate, body weight loss and residue virus titer in lungs after the challenge. The results showed that pre-exposure to H1N1 virus could offer mice partial protection against lethal H5N1 challenge and that single-dose injection with NP DNA or NP + M1 DNAs provided significantly improved protection against lethal H5N1 challenge in mice pre-exposed to H1N1 virus, as compared with those in unexposed mice.


CONCLUSIONS
Pre-existing immunity against seasonal influenza viruses is useful in offering protection against H5N1 infection. DNA vaccination may be a quick and effective strategy for persons innaive to influenza A virus during H5N1 pandemic.
Chang
Haiyan
H
College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China.
Huang
Chaoyang
C
Wu
Jian
J
Fang
Fang
F
Zhang
Wenjie
W
Wang
Fuyan
F
Chen
Ze
Z
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000276:immunology*; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; C488936:M1 protein, Influenza A virus; C048842:NP protein, Influenza A virus; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma