Mapping of murine Th1 helper T-Cell epitopes of mycolyl transferases Ag85A, Ag85B, and Ag85C from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

BALB/c (H-2(d)) and C57BL/6 (H-2(b)) mice were infected intravenously with Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv or vaccinated intramuscularly with plasmid DNA encoding each of the three mycolyl transferases Ag85A, Ag85B, and Ag85C from M. tuberculosis. Th1-type spleen cell cytokine secretion of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) was analyzed in response to purified Ag85 components and synthetic overlapping peptides covering the three mature sequences. Tuberculosis-infected C57BL/6 mice reacted strongly to some peptides from Ag85A and Ag85B but not from Ag85C, whereas tuberculosis-infected BALB/c mice reacted only to peptides from Ag85A. In contrast, spleen cells from both mouse strains produced elevated levels of IL-2 and IFN-gamma following vaccination with Ag85A, Ag85B, and Ag85C DNA in response to peptides of the three Ag85 proteins, and the epitope repertoire was broader than in infected mice. Despite pronounced sequence homology, a number of immunodominant regions contained component specific epitopes. Thus, BALB/c mice vaccinated with all three Ag85 genes reacted against the same amino acid region, 101 to 120, that was also immunodominant for Ag85A in M. bovis BCG-vaccinated and tuberculosis-infected H-2(d) haplotype mice, but responses were completely component specific. In C57BL/6 mice, a cross-reactive T-cell response was detected against two carboxy-terminal peptides spanning amino acids 241 to 260 and 261 to 280 of Ag85A and Ag85B. These regions were not recognized at all in C57BL/6 mice vaccinated with Ag85C DNA. Our results underline the need for comparative analysis of all three Ag85 components in future vaccination studies.

IFN-gamma diagnostic tests in the context of bovine mycobacterial infections in Belgium.

In countries where cattle tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis (Mbov) and paratuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Mptb) are present, testing strategies for the Mbov eradication have to discriminate between these two infections. Present indirect tests are based on the analysis of the specific cellular immune response (DTH, IFN-gamma) against crude mycobacterial antigens (avian and bovine PPD). In this study, we compared the evolution of the IFN-gamma responses of animals experimentally infected with Mbov, Mptb, or inoculated with Mycobacterium phlei. Mbov inoculation induced a strong IFN-gamma response that allows rapid classification of the status of the animals following interpretation criteria set up by us. Experimental inoculation with M. phlei induced sensitisation to mycobacterial antigens as detected by the IFN-gamma test but these reactions were of short duration, therefore, repeated testing allows us to define these animals as aspecific reactors. IFN-gamma response induced after oral inoculation of calves with Mptb was of low intensity and ratio of responses measured against avian versus bovine PPD did not allow a clear diagnostic at least for the six first month of infection.

Improved tuberculosis DNA vaccines by formulation in cationic lipids.

Mice were vaccinated with plasmid DNA (pDNA) encoding antigen 85A (Ag85A), Ag85B, or PstS-3 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis either in saline or formulated for intramuscular injections in VC1052:DPyPE (aminopropyl-dimethyl-myristoleyloxy-propanaminium bromide-diphytanoylphosphatidyl-ethanolamine) (Vaxfectin; Vical, Inc., San Diego, Calif.) or for intranasal instillations in GAP-DLRIE:DOPE (aminopropyl-dimethyl-bis-dodecyloxy-propanaminium bromide-dioleoylphosphatidyl-ethanolamine). These two novel cationic and neutral colipid formulations were previously reported to be effective adjuvants for pDNA-induced antibody responses. The levels of Ag85-specific total immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgG isotypes were all increased 3- to 10-fold by formulation of pDNA in Vaxfectin. The level of production of splenic T-cell-derived Th1-type cytokines (interleukin-2 and gamma interferon) in response to purified Ag85 and to synthetic peptides spanning the entire Ag85A protein was also significantly higher in animals vaccinated with pDNA formulated in Vaxfectin. Cytolytic T-lymphocyte responses generated by pDNA encoding phosphate-binding protein PstS-3 in Vaxfectin were better sustained over time than were those generated by PstS-3 DNA in saline. Intranasal immunization with Ag85A DNA in saline was completely ineffective, whereas administration in GAP-DLRIE:DOPE induced a positive Th1-type cytokine response; however, the extent of the latter response was clearly lower than that obtained following intramuscular immunization with the same DNA dose. Combined intramuscular and intranasal administrations in cationic lipids resulted in stronger immune responses in the spleen and, more importantly, in the lungs as well. Finally, formulation in Vaxfectin increased the protective efficacy of the Ag85B DNA vaccine, as measured by reduced relative light unit counts and CFU counts in the spleen and lungs from mice challenged with bioluminescent M. tuberculosis H37Rv. These results may be of importance for future clinical use of DNA vaccines in humans.

Improved immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a tuberculosis DNA vaccine encoding Ag85 by protein boosting.

C57BL/6 mice were vaccinated with plasmid DNA encoding Ag85 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with Ag85 protein in adjuvant, or with a combined DNA prime-protein boost regimen. While DNA immunization, as previously described, induced robust Th1-type cytokine responses, protein-in-adjuvant vaccination elicited very poor cytokine responses, which were 10-fold lower than those observed with DNA immunization alone. Injection of Ag85 DNA-primed mice with 30 to 100 microg of purified Ag85 protein in adjuvant increased the interleukin-2 and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) response in spleen two- to fourfold. Further, intracellular cytokine analysis by flow cytometry also showed an increase in IFN-gamma-producing CD4(+) T cells in DNA-primed-protein-boosted animals, compared to those that received only the DNA vaccination. Moreover, these responses appeared to be better sustained over time. Antibodies were readily produced by all three methods of immunization but were exclusively of the immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) isotype following protein immunization in adjuvant and preferentially of the IgG2a isotype following DNA and DNA prime-protein boost vaccination. Finally, protein boosting increased the protective efficacy of the DNA vaccine against an intravenous M. tuberculosis H37Rv challenge infection, as measured by CFU or relative light unit counts in lungs 1 and 2 months after infection. The capacity of exogenously given protein to boost the DNA-primed vaccination effect underlines the dominant role of Th1-type CD4(+) helper T cells in mediating protection.