Vaccination with vif -deleted feline immunodeficiency virus provirus, GM-CSF, and TNF-α plasmids preserves global CD4 T lymphocyte function after challenge with FIV

• Published in: Vaccine 2009-06, Vol.27 (28), p.3754-3765
• Main Authors: Maksaereekul, Saipiroon, Dubie, Robert A, Shen, Xiaoying, Kieu, Hung, Dean, Gregg A, Sparger, Ellen E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic - administration & dosage; Adjuvants, Immunologic - genetics; Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology; Allergy and Immunology; Animals; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Applied microbiology; Biological and medical sciences; Cats; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cell Proliferation; Cytokine adjuvants; DNA vaccine; Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - immunology; Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - prevention & control; FIV; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Deletion; Gene Products, vif - genetics; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - administration & dosage; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - genetics; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - pharmacology; Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline - genetics; Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline - immunology; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Proviruses - genetics; Proviruses - immunology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - administration & dosage; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - genetics; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - pharmacology; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects); Vaccines, DNA - genetics; Vaccines, DNA - immunology; Viral Load; Viral Vaccines - genetics; Viral Vaccines - immunology; Virology
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.03.081

Abstract Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) DNA vaccine approaches that included a vif -deleted FIV provirus (FIV-pPPRΔvif) and feline cytokine expression plasmids were tested for immunogenicity and efficacy by immunization of specific pathogen free cats. Vaccine protocols included FIV-pPPRΔvif plasmid alone; a combination of FIV-pPPRΔvif DNA and feline granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression plasmids; or a combination of FIV-pPPRΔvif and feline interleukin (IL)-15 plasmids. Cats immunized with FIV-pPPRΔvif, GM-CSF and TNF-α plasmids demonstrated an increased frequency of FIV-specific T cell proliferation responses compared to other vaccine groups. Immunization with FIV-pPPRΔvif and IL-15 plasmids was distinguished from other vaccine protocols by the induction of antiviral antibodies. Suppression of virus loads was not observed for any of the FIV-pPPRΔvif DNA vaccine protocols after challenge with the FIV-PPR isolate. However, prior immunization with FIV-pPPRΔvif, GM-CSF, and TNF-α plasmids resulted in preservation of CD4 T cell functions, including mitogen-induced cytokine expression and antigen-specific proliferation upon infection with FIV. These findings justify further examination of cytokine combinations as adjuvants for lentiviral DNA vaccines.