title: Profiles of B and T cell immune responses elicited by different forms of the hepatitis B virus surface antigen.
abstract: Gene-based hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines have been proposed as a novel approach to improve the immunogenicity toward non-responders and to allow for protection against potential viral escape mutants. Furthermore, there is significant interest in using DNA or viral vector vaccines to serve as therapeutic agents to treat chronic HBV infections that are resistant to existing drug therapies. However, the key protective antigen of HBV, the surface protein (HBsAg), can be expressed in three different sizes due to its multiple translational initiation sites: small, middle, and large forms of HBsAg. It is not clear whether the immunogenicity of these HBsAg is same, especially their ability to elicit HBsAg-specific B cell and T cell immune responses in addition to the traditional serum HBsAg-specific antibody responses. In the current study, the immunogenicity of three forms of HBsAg DNA vaccines was analyzed individually in a mouse model. Our results indicated that different forms of the HBsAg have unique immunogenicity profiles and this information is useful for the selection of optimal gene-based HBV vaccines for further improved prophylactic and therapeutic applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Meilong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Shixia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guohong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Yiping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Xiuwen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zuhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; 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 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA