Table 1.
Resistance to herpes simplex virus (HSV) challenge after DNA immunization†
| Log10 of viral titre at day postchallenge | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immunization | Route of immunization | No. of mice survived/no. of mice challenged | 1 | 3 | 5 | Higher mean lesion score |
| pCDNA | i.m. | 0/8 | 0·9 ± 0·2 (7/8) | 4·1 ± 1·2 (8/8) | 4 ± 0·8 (8/8) | 5 |
| pgpD | i.m. | 6/8 | 1 ± 0·3 (3/8) | 2·1 ± 0·7 (6/8) | 1·7 ± 0·6 (6/8) | 2·2 |
| pgpD + pCD80 | i.m | 6/8 | 1·1 ± 0·3 (1/8) | 2·2 ± 0·5 (5/8) | ND | 2 |
| pgpD + pCD86 | i.m. | 5/8 | ND | 2·5 ± 0·4 (5/6) | 2·3 ± 0·4 (5/6) | 1·8 |
| pgpD + pCD80 + pCD86 | i.m. | 5/8 | ND | 1·9 ± 0·6 (5/6) | 1·8 ± 0·4 (5/6) | 2 |
| pCDNA | i.d. | 0/8 | ND | 4·5 ± 0·6 (6/6) | 4·2 ± 0·8 (6/6) | 5 |
| pgpD | i.d. | 5/8 | ND | 1·8 ± 0·5 (4/6) | 1·9 ± 0·4 (4/6) | 2·3 |
| pgpD + pCD80 | i.d. | 8/8 | ND | 1·2 ± 0·2* (3/6) | 1·3 ± 0·2* (3/6) | 0·9* |
| pgpD + pCD86 | i.d. | 6/8 | ND | 2·3 ± 0·8 5/6 | 2·1 ± 0·9 5/6 | 2·7 |
| pgpD + pCD80 + pCD86 | i.d. | 5/8 | ND | 2·3 ± 1·2 6/6 | 2·0 ± 1·0 6/6 | 2·5 |
†
BALB/c mice were immunized via the intramuscular (i.m.) or intradermal (i.d.) route with expression vector pgpD alone or together with pCD80 or pCD86. The immunization was repeated three times at 15-day intervals. Fifteen days after the last dose, the mice were injected with 3 mg of Depo Provera (DP) per mouse. Five days following the administration of DP, the mice were challenged intravaginally with 100 lethal doses of herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) MS strain. Vaginal viral titres were determined for each individual mouse.
*
P < 0·05 when compared with pgpD-immunized mice.