THE EFFECT OF INTERFERON-GAMMA ON GENETIC IMMUNIZATION

The effect of co-inoculation of a plasmid vector expressing the rabies virus glycoproten and an additional vector encoding mouse interferon (IFN)-gamma on the development of an antigen specific B and T helper c ell response was tested upon intramuscular inoculation of mice. The ef fect of IFN-gamma was dependent on the promoter driving expression of the viral antigen. The immune responses to antigen-expressing vector c arrying a viral promoter such as the SV40 early promoter or the major histocompatibility (MHC) class I promoter were reduced in presence of IFN-gamma while the B and T helper cell response to a vector expressin g the antigen under the control of the MHC class II promoter was not a ffected by this cytokine. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.