title: Immune responses of a chimaeric protein vaccine containing Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae antigens and LTB against experimental M. hyopneumoniae infection in pigs.
abstract: A recombinant chimaeric protein containing three Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae antigens (C-terminal portion of P97, heat shock protein P42, and NrdF) fused to an adjuvant, the B subunit of heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli (LTB), was used to immunize pigs against enzootic pneumonia. The systemic and local immune responses, as well as the efficacy of the chimaeric protein in inducing protection against experimental M. hyopneumoniae infection were evaluated. In total, 60 male piglets, purchased from a M. hyopneumoniae-free herd, at 4 weeks of age were randomly allocated to six different experimental groups of 10 animals each: recombinant chimaeric protein by intramuscular (IM) (1) or intranasal (IN) (2) administration, commercial bacterin by IM administration (3), and the adjuvant LTB by IM (4, control group A) or IN (5, control group B) administration. All groups were immunized at 24 and 38 days of age and challenged at 52 days of age. The sixth group that was not challenged was used as the negative control (IN [n=5] or IM [n=5] administration of the LTB adjuvant). Compared with the non-challenged group, administration of the chimaeric protein induced significant (P<0.05) IgG and IgA responses against all individual antigens present in the chimaera, but it could not confer a significant protection against M. hyopneumoniae infection in pigs. This lack of effectiveness points towards the need for further studies to improve the efficacy of this subunit-based vaccine approach.
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: silvana.beutingermarchioro@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Silvana B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Marchioro
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Rubén Del Pozo
authors.initials: Rdel P
authors.lastname: Sácristan
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Annelies
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michiels
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haesebrouck
authors.affiliation: Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabricio R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Conceição
authors.affiliation: Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Odir A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Dellagostin
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dominiek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maes
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000281:Administration, Intranasal / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D045705:Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae; D045729:Pneumonia of Swine, Mycoplasmal / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011897:Random Allocation; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D013552:Swine / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D004768:Enterotoxins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins
keywords: Chimaeric protein; Enzootic pneumonia; Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae; Recombinant vaccine; Subunit-based vaccine