中华医学杂志(英文版)
中華醫學雜誌(英文版)
중화의학잡지(영문판)
CHINESE MEDICAL JOURNAL
2004年
12期
1842-1846
,共5页
甘燕%石佑恩%卜玲毅%朱晓华%宁长修%朱红刚
甘燕%石祐恩%蔔玲毅%硃曉華%寧長脩%硃紅剛
감연%석우은%복령의%주효화%저장수%주홍강
multivalent DNA vaccine%Sj23%IL-12%protective immunity%Schistosoma japonicum
Background The vaccination of mice with DNA encoding single candidate antigens has failed to induce significant protection against Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) challenge infections. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of using a multivalent DNA vaccine which co-expressed S. japonicum integral membrane protein Sj23 and murine cytokine IL-12 to induce protective immune responses.Methods The plasmid pVIVO2-IL12-Sj23, a eukaryotic expression vector expressing Sj23 and murine IL-12 simultaneously, was constructed, identified, and tested for expression in vitro. Its ability to protect against S. japonicum challenge infections was analyed according to worm reduction rate and egg reduction rate after vaccination of BALB/c mice. The serum levels of specific IgG antibody were determined by enzyme-linked-immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot analysis. Using cultured spleen cells, IFN-γ and IL-4 post-stimulation were quantified by ELISA. The phenotypes of splenocyte populations were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). Results The plasmid DNA pVIVO2-IL12-Sj23 was proven to express well in vitro by transient transfection of HEK-293 cells. Immunization resulted in a worm reduction rate of 45.53% and egg reduction rate of 58.35%. ELISA and Western blot analysis indicated that immunized mice generated specific IgG against Sj23. Spleen cells showed significant increases in IFN-γ but decreases in IL-4. No significant differences in CD4+ and CD8+ subgroup ratios were observed after the challenges.Conclusions The multivalent DNA vaccine pVIVO2-IL12-Sj23 is sufficient to elicit moderate but highly significant levels of protective immunity against challenge infections. Cytokine IL-12, as a gene adjuvant, was able to enhance the Th1 responses and, hence, the protective immunity.