Specific Cellular and Humoral Immunity after Immunization with Live Towne Strain Cytomegalovirus Vaccine

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus-specific lymphocyte proliferation and immunofluorescent antibody responses were measured serially in five normal adults and eight candidates for renal transplant immunized with Towne strain cytomegalovirus vaccine. All of the normal adults developed cellular and humoral immune responses. Five of the eight immunized renal transplant candidates developed proliferative responses comparable to those of normal adults, although in two instances maximal responses were delayed. Vaccinees developed proliferative responses to antigens prepared from the Towne strain as well as heterologous strains of cytomegalovirus. The appearance of immunofluorescent antibodies was generally delayed for the renal transplant candidates, and two of the individuals who had poor proliferative responses also had low antibody titers.

Preexisting antibodies can protect against congenital cytomegalovirus infection in monkeys

“…The high-potency-infused animals were sampled at days 0, 1, 2, 3,4,7,10,14,21,28,35,42,49,56,63,70,77, and 84. Amniotic fluid (by amniocentesis), urine (by clean pan collection), and saliva (by oral saline wash), were also collected on all animals on a weekly to biweekly intervals until fetal harvest.…”

“…Drawing upon standard vaccine strategies, the HCMV field has previously attempted to induce potent antiviral immunity by various approaches including attenuation of live viruses (8)(9)(10), formulation of HCMV glycoprotein subunit vaccines (11)(12)(13), use of viral vectors for epitope expression (14)(15)(16), and delivery of single and bivalent DNA plasmid vaccines (17,18). However, our understanding of anti-HCMV humoral immunity is complicated by the number of distinct glycoprotein complexes that contain neutralizing epitopes, most notably glycoprotein B (gB; fusion protein) and the pentameric complex gH/gL/UL128-131A (PC; necessary for entry into epithelial/endothelial cells) (19).…”

Dense Bodies of Human Cytomegalovirus Induce both Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses in the Absence of Viral Gene Expression

“…Several vaccine strategies have been employed in the past. Live attenuated HCMV strains have been tested both in healthy volunteers and in transplant recipients (15,49,78). However, protection was less effective than that seen after natural infection.…”

A DNA-Based Vaccine for the Prevention of Human Cytomegalovirus-Associated Diseases

“…Since that time, the Towne strain of HCMV has been attenuated by multiple in vitro passages and used in an investigational live virus vaccine in renal transplant recipients at high risk for post-transplant HCMV infection and disease. [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42] Seronegative patients who received kidneys from seropositive donors were randomized to receive vaccine or placebo. Although infection was not prevented, a subgroup of vaccinated patients did exhibit less severe disease manifestations.…”