Table 2.
Sero-conversion Ratios and Titres of Anti-HCV-E2 in DNA Immunized Mice
| Weeks |
DNA Immunogen |
|||||
| pcDNA3S | pcDNA3SE2-A | pcDNA3SE2-B | pcDNA3SE2-C | pcDNA3SE2-D | pcDNA3SE2-E | |
| 0a | (0/5) | (0/5) | (0/5) | (0/5) | (0/5) | (0/5) |
| 2 | (1/5) | (2/5) | (1/5) | (1/5) | (1/5) | (1/5) |
| 4b | 40d (2/5c) | 320 (3/5) | 160 (1/5) | 320 (3/5) | 320 (2/5) | 320 (1/5) |
| 6 | 160 (5/5) | 640 (5/5) | 640 (5/5) | 2560 (5/5) | 2560 (5/5) | 5120 (4/5) |
| 8 | 880 (5/5) | 640 (5/5) | 320 (5/5) | 5120 (5/5) | 5120 (5/5) | 5120 (4/5) |
| 10 | 80 (5/5) | 160 (5/5) | 320 (5/5) | 5120 (5/5) | 5120 (5/5) | 5120 (4/5) |
| 16 | 80 (5/5) | 80 (5/5) | 160 (5/5) | 160 (5/5) | 320 (5/5) | 80 (4/5) |
| 24 | 40 (5/5) | 40 (5/5) | 80 (5/5) | 80 (5/5) | 160 (5/5) | 40 (4/5) |
Note: Groups of mice (n = 5) were injected i.m. with the respective plasmids, and sero-conversion ratio and anti-HCV E2 antibody titers were measured at different time points by ELISA. With the exception of coating antigen (E2 (385-565)), all experimental procedures were the same as described in Table 1.
a
the first immunization;
b
the second immunization (boost);
c
(n/n); sero-conversion ratio, numbers of sero-converted mice relative to the total number tested;
d
titer; reciprocal of the two-fold dilution factor at end point, pools of positive sera from test groups were tested.