Immunopotentiation of bovine herpes virus subunit vaccination by interleukin-2

• Published in: Immunology Vol. 74; no. 3; pp. 461 - 466
• Main Authors: HUGHES, H. P. A, CAMPOS, M, GODSON, D. L, VAN DRUNEN LITTEL-VAN DEN HURK, S, MCDOUGALL, L, RAPIN, N, ZAMB, T, BABIUK, L. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell 01-11-1991
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Antibodies, Viral - biosynthesis; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle; Cell Division - immunology; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic - immunology; Epidemiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycoproteins - immunology; Herpesvirus 1, Bovine - immunology; Interleukin-2 - immunology; Microbiology; Recombinant Proteins - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Viral Vaccines - immunology; Virology; Immunization; Immunostimulation; Immune response; Bovine; Herpesviridae; Alphaherpesvirinae; Cytokine; Herpes; Cytotoxicity; Bovine herpesvirus 1; Vaccine; Infection; Virus; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Interleukin 2; Viral disease; Animal; Artiodactyla; Lymphocyte; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0019-2805; 1365-2567

Cattle were immunized with glycoprotein IV (gIV) from bovine herpes virus-1 (BHV-1). Groups of five animals were then given either 2, 3, 4, or 5 doses of interleukin-2 (IL-2) (0.5 microgram/kg) at 12-hr intervals. Animals that received no IL-2 exhibited specific immune responses that are typical for BHV-1 infection, i.e. enhanced specific cytotoxicity, lymphocyte proliferative responses to gIV, and increased gIV-specific (ELISA) and virus-neutralizing antibodies. Treatment of animals with five doses of IL-2 significantly augmented all of these responses except serum neutralization (P less than 0.05). Furthermore, the dose of IL-2 that was selected did not induce any non-specific responses, i.e. hypergamma-globulinaemia, changes in blood chemistry, increased lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activity, changes in mitogen responsiveness or alterations in the phenotypic profile of circulating lymphocytes. Nor were there any clinical changes associated with IL-2 therapy (e.g. depression, pyrexia, diarrhea). Animals that were treated with less than five doses of IL-2 also exhibited elevated immune responses, but they were not significantly different from untreated immunized controls. Interestingly, animals given five doses of IL-2 responded to minor contaminants present in the gIV preparation. This allows speculation that this dose regimen of IL-2 is not only a potent adjuvant for conventional vaccine immunizing doses, but will also allow the use of minute quantities of antigen for immunization.