Evaluation of cellular responses for a chimeric HBsAg-HCV core DNA vaccine in BALB/c mice

Authors

1 Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran

3 BCG Research Center, Karaj Research and Production, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Karaj, Iran

4 Department of Virology, Medical School, Tarbiat Moderes University (TMU), Tehran, Iran

5 Department of Virology, Unit of Hepacivirus and Innate Immunity, Pasteur Institute, 25/28 Rue du Dr. Roux, Paris 75724, France

Abstract

Background: Fusion of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) to a DNA construct might be considered as a strategy to enhance cellular and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) responses of a Hepatitis C Virus core protein (HCVcp)-based DNA vaccine comparable to that of adjuvanted protein (subunit) immunization.
Materials and Methods: pCHCORE vector harboring coding sequence of HBsAg and HCVcp (amino acids 2-120) in tandem within the pCDNA3.1 backbone was constructed. The corresponding recombinant HCVcp was also expressed and purified in Escherichia coli. Mice were immunized either by adjuvanted HCVcp (pluronic acid + protein) or by pCHCORE vector primed/protein boosted immunization regimen. The cellular immune responses (proliferation, In vivo CTL assay and IFN-g/IL-4 ELISpot) against a strong and dominant H2-d restricted, CD8 + -epitopic peptide (C39) (core 39-48; RRGPRLGVRA) of HCVcp were compared in immunized animals.
Result: Proper expression of the fused protein by pCHCORE in transiently transfected HEK 293T cells and in the expected size (around 50 kDa) was confirmed by western blotting. The immunization results indicated that the pCHCORE shifted the immune responses pathway to Th1 by enhancing the IFN-g cytokine level much higher than protein immunization while the proliferative and CTL responses were comparable (or slightly in favor of DNA immunization).
Conclusion: Fusion of HBsAg to HCVcp in the context of a DNA vaccine modality could augment Th1-oriented cellular and CTL responses toward a protective epitope, comparable to that of HCVcp (subunit HCV vaccine) immunization.

Keywords

1.
Schaefer M, Capuron L, Friebe A, Diez-Quevedo C, Robaeys G, Neri S, et al. Hepatitis C infection, antiviral treatment and mental health: A European expert consensus statement. J Hepatol 2012;57:1379-90.  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.
Roohvand F, Kossari N. Advances in hepatitis C virus vaccines, part one: Advances in basic knowledge for hepatitis C virus vaccine design. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2011;21:1-20.  Back to cited text no. 2
    
3.
Roohvand F, Kossari N. Advances in hepatitis C virus vaccines, part two: Advances in hepatitis C virus vaccine formulations and modalities. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2012;22:1-25.  Back to cited text no. 3
    
4.
Sällberg M, Frelin L, Weiland O. DNA vaccine therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection: Immune control of a moving target. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2009;9:805-15.  Back to cited text no. 4
    
5.
Hartoonian C, Ebtekar M, Soleimanjahi H, Karami A, Mahdavi M, Rastgoo N, et al. Effect of immunological adjuvants: GM-CSF (granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor) and IL-23 (interleukin-23) on immune responses generated against hepatitis C virus core DNA vaccine. Cytokine 2009;46:43-50.  Back to cited text no. 5
    
6.
Alvarez-Lajonchere L, González M, Alvarez-Obregón JC, Guerra I, Viña A, et al. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein enhances the immunogenicity of a co-delivered DNA vaccine encoding HCV structural antigens in mice. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2006;44:9-17.  Back to cited text no. 6
    
7.
Memarnejadian A, Roohvand F. Fusion of HBsAg and prime/boosting augment Th1 and CTL responses to HCV polytope DNA vaccine. Cell Immunol 2010;261:93-8.  Back to cited text no. 7
    
8.
Chen D, Edgtton K, Gould A, Guo H, Mather M, Haigh O, et al. HBsAg-vectored vaccines simultaneously deliver CTL responses to protective epitopes from multiple viral pathogens. Virology 2009;398:68-78.  Back to cited text no. 8
    
9.
Guilléna G, Aguilara JC, Dueñasa S, Hermidaa L, Guzmánb MG, Pentona E, et al. Virus-Like Particles as vaccine antigens and adjuvants: Application to chronic disease, cancer immunotherapy and infectious disease preventive strategies. Proc Vaccinol 2010;2:128-33.  Back to cited text no. 9
    
10.
Arashkia A, Roohvand F, Memarnejadian A, Aghasadeghi MR, Rafati S. Construction of HCV-polytope vaccine candidates harbouring immune-enhancer sequences and primary evaluation of their immunogenicity in BALB/c mice. Virus Genes 2010;40:44-52.  Back to cited text no. 10
    
11.
Memarnejadian A, Roohvand F, Arashkia A, Rafati S, Shokrgozar MA. Polytope DNA vaccine development against hepatitis C virus: A streamlined approach from in silico design to in vitro and primary in vivo analyses in BALB/c mice. Protein Pept Lett 2009;16:842-50.  Back to cited text no. 11
    
12.
Baghbani-arani F, Roohvand F, Aghasadeghi M, Eidi A, Amini S, Motevalli F, et al. Expression and characterization of Escherichia coli derived hepatitis C virus ARFP/F protein. Mol Biol 2012;46:226-35.  Back to cited text no. 12
    
13.
Tan SL, editor. Hepatitis C viruses: Genomes and molecular biology. Norfolk (UK): Horizon Bioscience; 2006.  Back to cited text no. 13
    
14.
McLauchlan J. Properties of the hepatitis C virus core protein: A structural protein that modulates cellular processes. J Viral Hepat 2000;7:2-14.  Back to cited text no. 14
    
15.
Schulzezur WJ, Schmitz H, Borowski E, Borowski P. The proteins of the Hepatitis C virus: Their features and interactions with intracellular protein phosphorylation. Arch Virol 2003;148:1247-67.  Back to cited text no. 15
    
16.
Christie JM, Chapel H, Chapman RW, Rosenberg WM. Immune selection and genetic sequence variation in core and envelope regions of hepatitis C virus. Hepatology 1999;30:1037-44.  Back to cited text no. 16
    
17.
Zhu W, Chang Y, Wu C, Han Q, Pei R, Lu M, et al. The wild-type hepatitis C virus core inhibits initiation of antigen-specific T-and B-cell immune responses in BALB/c mice. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2010;17:1139-47.  Back to cited text no. 17
    
18.
Cerutti A, Maillard P, Minisini R, Vidalain PO, Roohvand F, Pecheur EI, et al. Identification of a functional, CRM-1-dependent nuclear export signal in hepatitis C virus core protein. PloS One 2011;6:e25854.  Back to cited text no. 18
    
19.
Liao G, Wang Y, Chang J, Bian T, Tan W, Sun M, et al. Hepatitis B virus precore protein augments genetic immunizations of the truncated hepatitis C virus core in BALB/c mice. Hepatology 2008;47:25-34.  Back to cited text no. 19
    
20.
Roohvand F, Aghasadeghi MR, Sadat SM, Budkowska A, Khabiri AR. HCV core protein immunization with Montanide/CpG elicits strong Th1/Th2 and long-lived CTL responses. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2007;354:641-9.  Back to cited text no. 20
    
21.
Dueñas-Carrera S, Alvarez-Lajonchere L, Alvarez-Obregón JC, Herrera A, Lorenzo LJ, Pichardo D, et al. A truncated variant of the hepatitis C virus core induces a slow but potent immune response in mice following DNA immunization. Vaccine 2000;19:992-7.  Back to cited text no. 21
    
22.
Major ME, Vitvitski L, Mink MA, Schleef M, Whalen RG, Trepo C, et al. DNA-based immunization with chimeric vectors for the induction of immune responses against the hepatitis C virus nucleocapsid. J Virol 1995;69:5798-805.  Back to cited text no. 22
    
23.
Roohvand F, Maillard P, Lavergne JP, Boulant S, Walic M, Andréo U, et al. Initiation of Hepatitis C Virus Infection requires the Dynamic Microtubule Network. J Biol Chem 2009;284:13778-91.  Back to cited text no. 23
    
24.
Maillard P, Lavergne JP, Sibe´ril S, Faure G, Roohvand F, Petres S, et al. Fc-g receptor-like activity of hepatitis C virus core protein. J Biol Chem 2004;279:2430-7.  Back to cited text no. 24
    
25.
Hu GJ, Wang RY, Han DS, Alter HJ, Shih JW. Characterization of the humoral and cellular immune responses against hepatitis C virus core induced by DNA-based immunization. Vaccine 1999;17:3160-70.  Back to cited text no. 25