Experimental Respiratory Infection with Type 4 Adenovirus Vaccine in Volunteers: Clinical and Immunological Responses

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 1970-10, Vol.122 (4), p.239-248
• Main Authors: Smith, Thomas J., Buescher, Edward L., Top, Franklin H., Altemeier, William A., McCown, Jack M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenoviridae - isolation & purification; Adenoviridae Infections - etiology; Adenoviridae Infections - immunology; Adenoviruses; Antibodies; Antibodies - analysis; Antibody Formation; Capsules; Digestive System - microbiology; Diseases; Humans; Immunity, Active; Infections; Inoculation; Male; Neutralization Tests; Nose - microbiology; Original Articles; Pharynx - microbiology; Placebos; Respiratory Tract Infections - immunology; Secretion; Serotyping; Solutions; Species Specificity; Vaccination; Viral Vaccines - administration & dosage; Viral Vaccines - adverse effects; Viruses; Volunteerism
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/122.4.239

Intranasal administration of adenovirus type 4 (AV-4) vaccine to immunized individuals caused no significant illnesses or reactions. Earlier immunization with AV-4 by the enteric route had little or no effect on the incidence or pattern of pharyngeal infection following intranasal vaccination, in spite of the presence of serum neutralizing antibody. Evidence for pharyngeal infection was found in 8 of 12 individuals who were vaccinated previously and in 3 of 4 men who had received no enteric vaccine in one study. The mean duration of viral shedding for the enteric group was 8.5 days; the peak incidence occurred on the sixth day after vaccination. There was no indication that infection was transmitted to 9 men who received no intranasal vaccine. Neutralizing antibody could not be detected in nasal secretions 3 weeks after enteric vaccination of individuals who had no pre-existing serum antibody. In contrast, secretory antibody was measured in all but 1 of 16 individuals receiving vaccine intranasally. Individuals in another study who had evidence of a prior, presumbably naturally occurring, AV-4 infection had a low incidence of pharyngeal infection following intranasal vaccination and demonstrated a prompt response of nasal antibody. The data indicate that while selective enteric infection with AV-4 causes no apparent alteration in the susceptibility of tissues of the upper repiratory tract to AV-4 infection, induced respiratory-tract infection stimulates production of local secretory antibody. Naturally acquired respiratory infection appears to protect against reinfection with AV-4.