The studies on therapeutic action of tuberculosis Ag85A DNA vaccines / 中国免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

To study the therapeutic action of tuberculosis Ag85A DNA vaccines. Methods:BALB/c mice were infected by in-traperitoneal injection with M. tuberculosis H37Rv for 8 weeks, and then treated with the saline (A), plasmid vector (B), M. bovis BCG (C), M. vaccae (D), and Ag85A DNA vaccine (E). Ag85A-specific antibodies were determined by ELISA. The lungs, livers and spleens were taken and observed their pathological changes, weighted and performed mycobacterial cultures 2 or 5 monthes after treatment. Spleen cells were tested for proliferative responses.Results:Ag85A-specific antibodies increased in the mice of group E. At 2 months after immunothera-pies, the stimulation rates of spleen cells had no significant difference among each group. The numbers of viable bacteria in the lungs and spleens of therapeutic group were lower than those in the control group. The group C and B could be observed slight .lesion of lung. At 5 months after immunotherapies, the stimulation rates of spleen cells all increased significantly in the immunotherapeutic groups. The numbers of viable bacteria in the lung and spleen had no significant difference among each group. No lesions of lung could be observed in group E and D. Conclusion:The tuberculosis DNA vaccines seem to have some immunotherapeutic actions.