title: High-level cellular and humoral immune responses in Guinea pigs immunized intradermally with a heat-inactivated varicella-zoster virus vaccine.
abstract: The threat of varicella and herpes zoster in immunocompromised individuals necessitates the development of a safe and effective varicella-zoster virus (VZV) vaccine. The immune responses of guinea pigs to the intradermal (i.d.) or subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of a heat-inactivated or live VZV vaccine were investigated. Relative to nonimmunized animals, a single 399-PFU dose of vaccine induced nonsignificant increases in gamma interferon (IFN-γ), granzyme B, and perforin mRNA expression in the splenocytes of all groups, while two i.d. administrations of the inactivated vaccine increased IFN-γ mRNA expression significantly (P < 0.005). A single 1,995-PFU dose significantly increased the expression of IFN-γ mRNA in the groups receiving the vaccine either i.d. (P < 0.005) or s.c. (P < 0.05), that of granzyme B mRNA in the groups immunized i.d. with the inactivated (P < 0.005) or live (P < 0.005) vaccine, and that of perforin mRNA in the animals that received the inactivated vaccine i.d. (P < 0.005). Importantly, increases in the expression of IFN-γ (P = 0.025), granzyme B (P = 0.004), and perforin (P > 0.05) mRNAs were observed in the animals immunized i.d. with 1,995 PFU of inactivated vaccine relative to those immunized s.c. with the same dose. The proportion of animals expressing IFN-γ mRNA mirrored the proportion expressing IFN-γ protein (correlation coefficient of 0.88). VZV glycoprotein-specific and virus-neutralizing antibodies were produced with no significant intergroup differences. A booster i.d. administration of the 399-PFU dose of heat-inactivated vaccine enhanced the antibody responses. These results demonstrate that i.d. administration of an inactivated VZV vaccine can be an efficient mode of immunization against VZV.
authors: Division of Virology, National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Sarkadi
authors: Division of Virology, National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Mate
authors: M
authors: Jankovics
authors: Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent Istvan University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Kinga
authors: K
authors: Fodor
authors: Division of Virology, National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Zoltan
authors: Z
authors: Kis
authors: Division of Virology, National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Takacs
authors: Division of Virology, National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Ildiko
authors: I
authors: Visontai
authors: Division of Virology, National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Istvan
authors: I
authors: Jankovics
authors: Division of Virology, National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary gonczol.eva@oek.antsz.hu.
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Gonczol
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D053804:Granzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007271:Injections, Intradermal; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D054353:Perforin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated; D054353:Perforin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D053804:Granzymes