Long-term humoral and cellular immunity induced by a single immunization with replication-defective adenovirus recombinant vector

This study examines the suitability of replication-defective adenovirus vectors for engineering recombinant vaccines. The immunological abilities and limitations of El-deleted adenoviruses containing the lac Z gene (Ad-beta-gal) were investigated by examining the humoral and cellular immune responses to the beta-galactosidase protein. BALB/c mice (H-2(d)) were given in a single injection of recombinant adenovirus. The cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response of spleen cells was evaluated. Recognized target cells were H-2(d)-derived tumor cells transfected by the lac Z gene, or incubated with the 876-884 beta-galactosidase peptide known to be restricted by the L(d) molecule of the major histocompatibility complex. A long-lasting beta-galactosidase-specific cytotoxic Tcell response was obtained. By contrast, CTL from mice immunized with the L(d)-restricted peptide were less specific for the endogenous epitope presented by the transfectants expressing beta-galactosidase. Ad-beta-gal-immunized mice were also protected against an intra-cerebral challenge with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the lac-Z gene. These results suggest that Ad-beta-gal-induced CTL have protective abilities in vive. The induction of beta-galactosidase-specific T helper lymphocytes and humoral IgG responses were also examined. A proliferative response occurred only late after immunization and the primed T lymphocytes produced interleukin-2, but no interleukin-4. A humoral IgG response to the beta-galactosidase protein was detected 15-30 days after a single immunization and remained stable for 6 months without boosting. Lastly, we followed the evolution of the immune response over the course of successive immunizations. The magnitude and kinetics of the cellular and humoral responses were similar to those obtained after a single immunization. Consistent with these observations, an adenovirus-specific neutralizing antibody response was detected as early as the second immunizdtion. Thus, a single immunization with a replicationdefective adenovirus recombinant vector induces long-lasting humoral and cellular immune responses specific to the transgene product.