Newborn Mice Vaccination with BCG.HIVA222+ MVA.HIVA Enhances HIV-1-Specific Immune Responses: Influence of Age and Immunization Routes
Saubi N., Im E-J., Fernández-Lloris R., Gil O., Cardona P-J., Gatell JM., Hanke T., Joseph J.
<jats:p>We have evaluated the influence of age and immunization routes for induction of HIV-1- and<jats:italic>M. tuberculosis</jats:italic>-specific immune responses after neonatal (7 days old) and adult (7 weeks old) BALB/c mice immunization with BCG.HIVA<jats:sup>222</jats:sup>prime and MVA.HIVA boost. The specific HIV-1 cellular immune responses were analyzed in spleen cells. The body weight of the newborn mice was weekly recorded. The frequencies of HIV-specific CD8<jats:sup>+</jats:sup>T cells producing IFN-γ were higher in adult mice vaccinated intradermally and lower in adult and newborn mice vaccinated subcutaneously. In all cases the IFN-γ production was significantly higher when mice were primed with BCG.HIVA<jats:sup>222</jats:sup>compared with BCGwt. When the HIV-specific CTL activity was assessed, the frequencies of specific killing were higher in newborn mice than in adults. The prime-boost vaccination regimen which includes BCG.HIVA<jats:sup>222</jats:sup>and MVA.HIVA was safe when inoculated to newborn mice. The administration of BCG.HIVA<jats:sup>222</jats:sup>to newborn mice is safe and immunogenic and increased the HIV-specific responses induced by MVA.HIVA vaccine. It might be a good model for infant HIV and Tuberculosis bivalent vaccine.</jats:p>