title: Nanostructured SBA-15 silica as an adjuvant in immunizations with hepatitis B vaccine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the applicability of SBA-15 silica as an adjuvant in immunizations with purified particles of the viral protein HBsAg, the main component of hepatitis B vaccine, Butang®, produced by Instituto Butantan.
  
  
  METHODS
  BALB/c mice orally or subcutaneously received 0.5 μg of HBsAg adsorbed/encapsulated to SBA-15 or adsorbed to Al(OH)3. To assess the secondary immune response, a subcutaneous booster was administered 30 days after the first immunization. Individual serum and fecal samples of each group were periodically collected for specific antibody titration by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of secretory IgA showed that mice orally primed with HBsAg on SBA-15 had increased levels of specific antibodies in primary and secondary immune responses. Specific serum IgA and IgG titers in HBsAg:SBA-15-orally immunized mice reached higher levels after the booster, demonstrating the effectiveness of oral vaccination with the use of silica. All immunized groups showed higher IgG1 levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results clearly indicate the promising use of SBA-15 as an adjuvant, especially in oral immunizations.
authors.affiliation: Immunochemistry Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scaramuzzi
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Division, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Denise Cristina André
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Immunochemistry Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Luciana Vieira
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Immunochemistry Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Denise Vilarinho
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Tambourgi
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Division, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Elisabeth Christina Nunes
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Tenório
authors.affiliation: Farmacêutica Cristália, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.affiliation: Farmacêutica Cristália, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mussalem
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Márcia Carvalho de Abreu
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fantini
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Division, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Viviane Fongaro
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Botosso
authors.affiliation: Immunochemistry Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Osvaldo Augusto
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Sant Anna