Quenee Lauriane E, Schneewind Olaf
Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Hum Vaccin. 2009 Dec;5(12):817-23. doi: 10.4161/hv.9866. Epub 2009 Dec 1.
Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of bubonic and pneumonic plague, human diseases with high mortality. Due to the microbe's ability to spread rapidly, plague epidemics present a serious public health threat. A search for prophylactic measures was initially based on historical reports of bubonic plague survivors and their apparent immunity. Due to safety and efficacy concerns, killed whole-cell preparations or live-attenuated plague vaccines are no longer considered in the United States. Vaccine developers have focused on specific subunits of plague bacteria. LcrV, a protein at the tip of type III secretion needles, and F1, the capsular pilus antigen, are both recognized as plague protective antigens. Antibodies against LcrV and F1 interfere with Y. pestis type III injection of host cells. While LcrV is absolutely essential for Y. pestis virulence, expression of F1 is dispensable for plague pathogenesis in small animals, non-human primates and presumably also in humans. Several subunit vaccines, for example rF1+rV (rYP002), rF1V or rV10, are being developed to generate plague protection in humans. Efficacy testing and licensure for human use requires the establishment of correlates for plague immunity.
鼠疫耶尔森菌是腺鼠疫和肺鼠疫的病原体，这两种人类疾病死亡率很高。由于这种微生物传播迅速的能力，鼠疫流行对公共卫生构成严重威胁。对预防措施的探索最初基于腺鼠疫幸存者的历史报告及其明显的免疫力。出于安全性和有效性的考虑，美国不再考虑使用灭活全细胞制剂或减毒活鼠疫疫苗。疫苗开发者将重点放在鼠疫杆菌的特定亚基上。LcrV是III型分泌针顶端的一种蛋白质，F1是荚膜菌毛抗原，二者均被视为鼠疫保护性抗原。针对LcrV和F1的抗体可干扰鼠疫耶尔森菌对宿主细胞的III型注射。虽然LcrV对鼠疫耶尔森菌的毒力绝对至关重要，但F1的表达对于鼠疫在小动物、非人灵长类动物以及大概在人类中的发病机制并非必需。正在研发几种亚单位疫苗，例如rF1+rV（rYP002）、rF1V或rV10，以在人类中产生鼠疫防护作用。对人类使用进行疗效测试和许可需要确立鼠疫免疫力的相关指标。
