A single dose sub-unit vaccine protects against pneumonic plague

• Published in: Vaccine 2000-10, Vol.19 (4), p.566-571
• Main Authors: Williamson, E.Diane, Eley, Steven M., Stagg, Anthony J., Green, Michael, Russell, Paul, Titball, Richard W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - biosynthesis; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antigens, Bacterial - administration & dosage; Bacterial Proteins - administration & dosage; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid - immunology; F1 antigen; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Immunization Schedule; Immunoglobulin G - biosynthesis; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunological correlates; Lung - immunology; Lung - microbiology; Mice; Microbiology; Plague - immunology; Plague - microbiology; Plague - prevention & control; Plague Vaccine - administration & dosage; Pneumonic plague; Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; Protection; Single dose vaccine; Spleen - immunology; Sub-unit vaccine; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Vaccines, Subunit - administration & dosage; Yersinia pestis; Yersinia pestis - immunology; Yersinia pestis - isolation & purification; Yersinia pestis - pathogenicity
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/S0264-410X(00)00159-6

In this study, the protection afforded against aerosolised Yersinia pestis by injection of a single dose of an alhydrogel-adsorbed sub-unit vaccine has been compared with that given by an existing killed whole cell vaccine licensed for human use. The sub-unit vaccine, prepared by admixing F1 antigen derived from a Y. pestis cell culture supernatant with recombinant V antigen derived from an E. coli cell lysate, fully protected an outbred strain of mouse against exposure to 10 6 CFU of virulent plague organisms (10 4 mouse lethal doses, MLD). In contrast, the whole cell vaccine provided only 16% protection against the same level of challenge. Furthermore, sub-unit vaccinees were able to clear the bacteria from their lungs post-challenge whereas bacteria were cultured from the lungs of a surviving KWC vaccinee post-challenge. In killed whole cell vaccinees, physiologically significant levels of IgG to F1 only were detectable and the levels of F1-specific IgG in serum and in broncho-alveolar washings were significantly lower ( p