Intranasal immunization with recombinant gD2 reduces disease severity and mortality following genital challenge with herpes simplex virus type 2 in guinea pigs

The ability of a genetically detoxified mutant of heat labile enterotoxin ( LTK63) to act as a mucosal adjuvant following intranasal immunization with recombinant gD2 has previously been reported in mice [Ugozzoli M, O'Hagan D T, Ott GS. Intranasal immunization of mice with herpes simplex virus type 2 recombinant gD2: the effect of adjuvants on mucosal and serum antibody res ponses. Immunol 1998;93:563-571.]. In the current studies, these observatio ns were extended to the guinea pig model. Immunized guinea pigs were subseq uently challenged intravaginally with HSV-2. Intranasal immunization with g D2 and LTK63 induced a significant reduction in disease severity and a redu ction in mortality. However, only intramuscular immunization with a potent adjuvant (MF59) induced protection against the incidence of disease. (C) 19 99 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.