Examination of humoral and cellular immune responses after immunization with subunit vaccine against Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2

The objective of our study was to examine the humoral and cellular immune r esponse in mice after immunization with bivalent subunit vaccine against He rpes simplex viruses (HSV 1 and HSV2). These examinations were carried out in biological assay on 27 female Swiss albino mice (20 g bm). The subunit v accine was prepared from purified glycoprotein antigens (subunits) isolated from the external envelopes of HSV 1 and HSV 2 and adsorbed on the adjuvan t AI(OH)(3) at a final concentration of 5 mg/ml. This vaccine contained 0.1 4 mg/ml total protein for the HSV I subunits and 0.16 mg/ml for HSV2 subuni ts. Two groups of 9 and 7 experimental mice were immunized with the HSV1/HS V2 subunit vaccine (0.5 mi sie). A group of II healthy non-immunized mice s erved as the control. The specific humoral immune response of the vaccinate d mice was examined by a standard method of indirect immunofluorescence. Th e specific cellular immune response of the vaccinated animals was tested by measuring the lymphocyte proliferation response to HSV1 and HSV2 antigens with tritiated methyl thymidine (*128.5 Bq/mmol), in vitro. The titers of t he specific IgG and IgM Glass antibodies, in the blood sera of the first gr oup of 9 immunized mice, on day 10 after vaccination were: from 1:8 to 1:64 IgG and 1:32 to 1:128 IgM for HSV1 and 1:32 to 1:128 IgG and IgM antibodie s for HSV2. The equivalent titers for the second group of 7 immunized mice, on day 24 after vaccination were: from 1:64 to 1:128 IgG and 1:16 to 1:64 IgM for HSV1; from 1:32 to 1:128 IgG and IgM for HSV2. The mean values for radioactivity in the proliferation test of lymphocytes for HSV1 and HSV2 an tigens were 1471 cpm and 1839 cpm respectively on day 10 after vaccination, The mean value for radioactivity in the medium after spontaneous prolifera tion of lymphocytes for this group of mice was 893 cpm. The mean radioactiv ity of lymphocytes from the second group of mice, stimulated with HSV1 anti gens was 4158 cpm on day 24 after vaccination, with a spontaneous prolifera tion value of 364 cpm. Thus, the low subunit antigen concentrations in the bivalent subunit vaccine, induced satisfactory humoral and cellular immune responses to HSV1 and HSV2 in the vaccinated mice.