title: An HIV-1 Mini Vaccine Induced Long-lived Cellular and Humoral Immune Responses.
abstract: Memory formation is the most important aspect of a vaccine which can guarantee long-lasting immunity and protection. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the memory immune responses after immunization with a mini vaccine. Mice were immunized with human immunodeficiency virus-1 P24-Nef fusion peptide and then cellular and humoral immune responses were evaluated. In order to determine long-lived memory, immune responses were monitored for 20 weeks after final immunization. The results showed that the candidate vaccine induced proliferation and cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses and shifted cytokine patterns to T helper-1 profile. Evaluation of humoral immune responses also showed an increase in total peptide specific-IgG titer and a shift to IgG2a humoral response. Monitoring of immune responses at weeks 4, 12 and 20 after last immunization showed that immunologic parameters have been sustained for 20 weeks. Our findings support the notion that long-lived memory responses were achieved using a mini vaccine immunization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahdavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Massoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ebtekar
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zuhair Mohammad
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faezi
authors.affiliation: Genetics Research Centre, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamidreza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khorram Khorshid
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Virology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taghizadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Keyhan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Azadmanesh
keywords: BALB/c mice; HIV-1; P24-Nef fusion peptide; long-lived immune responses