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Humoral and cellular immune responses to modified hepatitis B plasmid DNA vaccine in mice


Mounir M Salem-Bekhit
Mohamed Osman Gad El Rab
Mahmoud M Tawfick
Mohammad Raish
Mohamed Dahmani Fathallah
Mohsen Bayomi

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the immunogenicity and types of immune response of a quality-controlled modified recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) plasmid encoding HBsAg in mice.
Methods: The characterized plasmid DNA was used in the immunization of Balb/c mice. Three groups of mice were intramuscularly injected with three different concentrations (50, 25 and 10 μg/100 μL) of the modified plasmid. Humoral immune response was monitored by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while cellular immune response was investigated by analysis of spleen cytokine profile (TNFα, IFN γ and IL2) as well as CD69 expression level in CD4 and CD8 positive cells.
Results: In general, the activated CD4 cells showing intracellular cytokines were higher than CD8 positive population of cells (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that the vaccine induced both a humoral and cellular immunity. Cytokine profile also showed high levels of TNFα, IFN γ and IL2 and CD69 expression in the group of animals immunized at a dose of 10 μg when compared to control group (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: A 10 μg dose intramuscular injection of the modified DNA-based vaccine encoding HBsAg in mice induces both high humoral and cellular immune responses.

Keywords: Hepatitis B virus, Plasmid DNA, Vaccine, Spleen cytokines, Humoral and cellular immune responses


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1596-9827
print ISSN: 1596-5996