A West Nile virus (WNV) recombinant canarypox virus vaccine elicits WNV-specific neutralizing antibodies and cell-mediated immune responses in the horse

• Published in: Veterinary immunology and immunopathology 2008-06, Vol.123 (3), p.230-239
• Main Authors: El Garch, H., Minke, J.M., Rehder, J., Richard, S., Edlund Toulemonde, C., Dinic, S., Andreoni, C., Audonnet, J.C., Nordgren, R., Juillard, V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ALVAC; Animals; Anti-vector immunity; Antibodies, Viral - biosynthesis; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; antibody formation; Canarypox virus; cell-mediated immunity; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Equine; Female; horse diseases; Horse Diseases - immunology; Horse Diseases - prevention & control; Horse Diseases - virology; horses; Horses - immunology; immune response; Immunization, Secondary - veterinary; Interferon-gamma - blood; interferons; Male; Neutralization Tests - veterinary; recombinant vaccines; Statistics, Nonparametric; transgenes; vaccination; Vaccination - methods; Vaccination - veterinary; viral diseases of animals and humans; Viral Vaccines - administration & dosage; Viral Vaccines - immunology; West Nile Fever - immunology; West Nile Fever - prevention & control; West Nile Fever - veterinary; West Nile Fever - virology; West Nile virus; West Nile virus - immunology; West Nile Virus Vaccines - administration & dosage; West Nile Virus Vaccines - immunology; WNV immunity
• ISSN: 0165-2427; 1873-2534
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2008.02.002

Successful vaccination against West Nile virus (WNV) requires induction of both neutralizing antibodies and cell-mediated immune responses. In this study, we have assessed the ability of a recombinant ALVAC ®-WNV vaccine (RECOMBITEK ® WNV) to elicit neutralizing antibodies and virus-specific cell-mediated immune responses in horses. In addition, we examined whether prior exposure to ALVAC ®-WNV vaccine would inhibit B and cell-mediated immune responses against the transgene product upon subsequent booster immunizations with the same vaccine. The results demonstrated that the recombinant ALVAC ®-WNV vaccine induced neutralizing antibodies and prM/E insert-specific IFN-γ + producing cells against WNV in vaccinated horses. Prior exposure to ALVAC ®-WNV vaccine did not impair the ability of horses to respond to two subsequent booster injections with the same vaccine, although anti-vector-specific antibody and cell-mediated immune responses were induced in vaccinated horses. This report describes, for the first time, the induction of antigen-specific cell-mediated responses following vaccination with an ALVAC ® virus recombinant vaccine encoding WNV antigens. Moreover, we showed that both WNV-specific IFN-γ producing cells and anti-WNV neutralizing antibody responses, are not inhibited by subsequent vaccinations with the same vector vaccine.