Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) glycoprotein D DNA inoculation in horses with pre-existing EHV-1/EHV-4 antibody

• Published in: Veterinary microbiology 2000-09, Vol.76 (2), p.117-127
• Main Authors: Ruitenberg, Kirsten M, Love, Daria N, Gilkerson, James R, Wellington, Janet E, Whalley, J.Millar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Viral - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western - veterinary; DNA immunisation; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Equine herpesvirus 1; Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1); Equine herpesvirus 4; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycoprotein D; Hemagglutinins, Viral - immunology; Herpesviridae Infections - prevention & control; Herpesviridae Infections - veterinary; Herpesvirus 1, Equid - immunology; Herpesvirus 4, Equid - immunology; Horse Diseases - prevention & control; Horses; Microbiology; Neutralization Tests - veterinary; Vaccination - veterinary; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Vaccines, DNA; Viral Envelope Proteins - immunology; Virology
• ISSN: 0378-1135; 1873-2542
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1135(00)00237-6

We have shown previously that equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) glycoprotein D (gD) DNA elicited protective immune responses against EHV-1 challenge in murine respiratory and abortion models of EHV-1 disease. In this study, 20 horses, all with pre-existing antibody to EHV-4 and two with pre-existing antibody to EHV-1, were inoculated intramuscularly with three doses each of 50, 200 or 500 μg EHV-1 gD DNA or with 500 μg vector DNA. In 8 of 15 horses, inoculation with EHV-1 gD DNA led to elevated gD-specific antibody and nine horses exhibited increased virus neutralising (VN) antibody titres compared to those present when first inoculated. A lack of increase in gC-specific antibody during the 66 weeks of the experiment showed that the increase in gD-specific antibodies was not due to a natural infection with either EHV-1 or EHV-4. The increase in EHV-1 gD-specific antibodies was predominantly an IgGa and IgGb antibody response, similar to the isotype profile reported following natural EHV-1 infection.