Antibody to the gp120 V1/V2 loops and CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in protection from SIVmac251 vaginal acquisition and persistent viremia

SN Gordon, MN Doster, RC Kines, BF Keele… - The Journal of …, 2014 - journals.aai.org
SN Gordon, MN Doster, RC Kines, BF Keele, E Brocca-Cofano, Y Guan, P Pegu…
The Journal of Immunology, 2014journals.aai.org
The human papillomavirus pseudovirions (HPV-PsVs) approach is an effective gene-
delivery system that can prime or boost an immune response in the vaginal tract of
nonhuman primates and mice. Intravaginal vaccination with HPV-PsVs expressing SIV
genes, combined with an im gp120 protein injection, induced humoral and cellular SIV-
specific responses in macaques. Priming systemic immune responses with im immunization
with ALVAC-SIV vaccines, followed by intravaginal HPV-PsV–SIV/gp120 boosting …
Abstract
The human papillomavirus pseudovirions (HPV-PsVs) approach is an effective gene-delivery system that can prime or boost an immune response in the vaginal tract of nonhuman primates and mice. Intravaginal vaccination with HPV-PsVs expressing SIV genes, combined with an im gp120 protein injection, induced humoral and cellular SIV-specific responses in macaques. Priming systemic immune responses with im immunization with ALVAC-SIV vaccines, followed by intravaginal HPV-PsV–SIV/gp120 boosting, expanded and/or recruited T cells in the female genital tract. Using a stringent repeated low-dose intravaginal challenge with the highly pathogenic SIV mac251, we show that although these regimens did not demonstrate significant protection from virus acquisition, they provided control of viremia in a number of animals. High-avidity Ab responses to the envelope gp120 V1/V2 region correlated with delayed SIV mac251 acquisition, whereas virus levels in mucosal tissues were inversely correlated with antienvelope CD4+ T cell responses. CD8+ T cell depletion in animals with controlled viremia caused an increase in tissue virus load in some animals, suggesting a role for CD8+ T cells in virus control. This study highlights the importance of CD8+ cells and antienvelope CD4+ T cells in curtailing virus replication and antienvelope V1/V2 Abs in preventing SIV mac251 acquisition.
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