title: Plasmid DNA vaccination using skin electroporation promotes poly-functional CD4 T-cell responses.
abstract: Plasmid DNA vaccination using skin electroporation (EP) is a promising method able to elicit robust humoral and CD8(+) T-cell immune responses while limiting invasiveness of delivery. However, there is still only limited data available on the induction of CD4(+) T-cell immunity using this method. Here, we compare the ability of homologous prime/boost DNA vaccinations by skin EP and intramuscular (i.m.) injection to elicit immune responses by cytokine enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT) assay, as well as study the complexity of CD4(+) T-cell responses to the human immunodeficiency virus antigen Gag, using multiparamater flow cytometry. We find that DNA vaccinations by skin EP and i.m. injection are capable of eliciting both single- and poly-functional vaccine-specific CD4(+) T cells. However, although DNA delivered by skin EP was administered at a five-fold lower dose it elicited significant increases in the magnitude of multiple-cytokine producers compared with i.m. immunization suggesting that the skin EP could provide greater poly-functional T-cell help, a feature associated with successful immune defense against infectious agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bråve
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nyström
authors.forename: Anna-Karin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Applequist
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D018274:Electroporation; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus