Recombinant adenovirus encoding the HA gene from swine H3N2 influenza virus partially protects mice from challenge with heterologous virus: A/HK/1/68 (H3N2)

• Published in: Archives of virology 2002-10, Vol.147 (11), p.2125-2141
• Main Authors: TANG, M, HARP, J. A, WESLEY, R. D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenoviridae - genetics; Adenoviridae - immunology; Adenoviruses; Animal diseases; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - biosynthesis; Biological and medical sciences; Cytomegalovirus; Defective Viruses - immunology; Epidemics; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes; Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus - genetics; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus - immunology; Hogs; Immunization; Influenza A virus - immunology; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype; Influenza Vaccines - immunology; Laboratories; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbiology; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - prevention & control; Plasmids; Recombinant Proteins - immunology; Swine flu; Vaccines; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; Virology; Viruses
• ISSN: 0304-8608; 1432-8798
• DOI: 10.1007/s00705-002-0870-y

Immunization with recombinant adenoviral vaccine that induces potent immunity has been applied to many infectious diseases. We report here developing a recombinant adenoviral vaccine encoding the HA gene from swine H3N2 influenza virus (SIV). Two replication-defective recombinant adenoviruses were generated: (1) rAd-HA: recombinant adenovirus encoding the HA gene from swine H3N2 influenza virus, and (2) rAd-vector: a control recombinant adenovirus containing adenovirus and transfer plasmids without a foreign HA gene. Mice given rAd-HA developed high titers of neutralizing and hemagglutination inhibition antibodies to SIV in comparison to mice inoculated with rAd-vector or PBS as early as 2 weeks after immunization, and these antibodies were substantially increased in the mice given rAd-HA within the next 3 weeks following the first dose. However, these antibodies were not able to neutralize the virus, A/HK/68 (H3N2), used for challenge. Nonetheless mice immunized with one or two doses of rAd-HA were protected from lethal challenge with heterologous virus, A/HK/1/68 (H3N2). A statistically significant ( P < 0.03) difference between survival rates of rAd-HA mice vs. rAd-vector or PBS mice was observed.