Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses induced by vaccination with pVII-modified adenoviruses
Groups of naïve BALB/c mice (ten per group) were immunized with 1×108, 1×109 or 1×1010 v.p. of pVII-modified adenoviruses intramuscularly at 3-week interval. (A) NANP-specific antibody responses were measured at week 6 by ELISA using (T1B)4 antigen and described as end-point dilution folds to detect the antigen. Values were log-transformed. (B) NANP-specific antibody titer at week 9. Bars represent geometric means. (C) PfCSP-specific IFN-γ-secreting CD4+ T-cell response was measured by IFN-γ ELISPOT assay using a synthetic peptide, corresponding to the PfCSP-derived, universal CD4+ T-cell epitope, EYLNKIQNSLSTEWSPCSVT, to stimulate splenocytes prepared from the immunized mice. (D) PfCSP-specific IL-4-secreting CD4+ T-cell response was measured by IL-4 ELISPOT assay using above mentioned peptide, corresponding to the PfCSP-specific CD4+ T-cell epitope. Bars represent means. In Figures 3 and 4, one-way ANOVA followed by a Dunnett’s test was employed to determine the differences among groups.