title: Immunization with DNA vaccine expressing herpes simplex virus type 1 gD and IL-21 protects against mouse herpes keratitis.
abstract: The development of novel vaccines to eradicate herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a global public health priority. In this study, we developed a DNA vaccine expressing HSV-1 glycoprotein D (gD) and mouse interleukin-21(IL-21) and intramuscularly inoculated mice 3 times at 2-week intervals with a total of 300 ?g/mouse. Two weeks after the last immunization the specific antibody, splenocyte proliferative response to gD, IFN-? and IL-4 as well as the cytotoxic activities of splenocytes and natural killer (NK) cells were assayed. Immune protection against herpes keratitis was concurrently evaluated in the immunized mice after HSV-1 challenge of the mouse cornea. The results showed that the DNA vaccine pRSC-gD-IL-21 generated higher levels of antibody, IFN-? and IL-4, and enhanced the splenocyte proliferative response to gD as well as the cytotoxic activity of splenocytes and NK cells to target cells compared with the response in either the pRSC-gD or mock plasmid pRSC immunized mice. Importantly, the pRSC-gD-IL-21 ameliorated herpes keratitis severity and time course after corneal infection with HSV-1. The findings suggest that the DNA vaccine pRSC-gD-IL-21 may induce an immune response that can limit HSV-1 infection and development of herpes keratitis in the immunized mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China. njdoujun@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xiangfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Fangliu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xianwen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Chunsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fengshu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014709:Vero Cells; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000098546:Interleukin-21
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines; C039447:glycoprotein D, Human herpesvirus 1; D000098546:Interleukin-21