Adjuvants that enhance priming of cytotoxic T cells to a K-b-restricted epitope processed from exogenous but not endogenous hepatitis B surface antigen
R. Schirmbeck et al., Adjuvants that enhance priming of cytotoxic T cells to a K-b-restricted epitope processed from exogenous but not endogenous hepatitis B surface antigen, INT IMMUNOL, 11(7), 1999, pp. 1093-1102
Intramuscular (i.m.) or s.c. injection of plasmid DNA encoding hepatitis B
small surface antigen (HBsAg) primes potent MHC I-restricted cytotoxic T ly
mphocyte (CTL) responses in H-2(d) (BALB/c) and H-2(b) (C57BL/6) mice. In c
ontrast, i.m. or s.c. injection of exogenous HBsAg particles without adjuva
nts primes CTL responses in 'high responder' H-2d but not 'low responder' H
-2(b) mice. We have shown that processing of exogenous but not endogenous H
BsAg generates the K-b-binding S208-215 peptide ILSPFLPL. This system allow
ed us to optimize conditions for stimulating murine CTL responses to exogen
ous antigen by identifying adjuvants that facilitate priming of K-b-restric
ted CTL by injecting recombinant HBsAg particles into 'low responder' H-2(b
) mice. Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides with immunostimulating sequences or
the recombinant cytokine IL-12 efficiently enhanced priming of CTL to exog
enous HBsAg, Hence, the adjuvanticity of DNA sequences that induce T(h)1 cy
tokines facilitate priming of MHC I-restricted T cell responses to exogenou
s antigen and are therefore of potential value in formulating vaccines desi
gned to enhance CTL priming to exogenous antigen.