Wade-Evans A M, Pullen L, Hamblin C, O'Hara R S, Burroughs J N, Mertens P P
Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory, Woking, Surrey, U.K.
Arch Virol Suppl. 1998;14:211-9. doi: 10.1007/978-3-7091-6823-3_19.
An established mouse model system was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the major outer core protein VP7 of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) serotype 9 as a subunit vaccine. Balb C mice were immunised with VP7 crystals purified from AHSV infected BHK cells. In groups of mice, each of which was immunised with > or = 1.5 micrograms of the protein in Freund's adjuvant, > or = 80% of mice survived challenge with a virulent strain of a heterologous AHSV serotype (AHSV 7), that killed > or = 80% of the mice in the uninoculated control groups. This level of protection was significantly greater than that observed in mice inoculated with equivalent amounts of either denatured VP7 (50% survival), or GST/VP7 fusion protein (50-70% survival), or which were vaccinated with AHSV 9 (40-50% survival). The VP7 protein folding, or its assembly into crystals, are thought to play some role in the effectiveness of the protective response observed. Titres of circulating antibodies against AHSV VP7 were determined by competitive ELISA but did not appear to correlate with the levels of protection observed. Passive transfer of these antibodies to syngeneic recipients also failed to protect Balb C mice from the AHSV 7 challenge. The observed protection is therefore unlikely to be due to an antibody mediated immune response.
利用已建立的小鼠模型系统评估非洲马瘟病毒（AHSV）9型主要外核心蛋白VP7作为亚单位疫苗的有效性。用从感染AHSV的BHK细胞中纯化的VP7晶体免疫Balb C小鼠。在每组小鼠中，每只用弗氏佐剂中≥1.5微克该蛋白免疫的小鼠，≥80%在受到异源AHSV血清型（AHSV 7）强毒株攻击后存活，而未接种的对照组中≥80%的小鼠死亡。这种保护水平显著高于用等量变性VP7（50%存活）、GST/VP7融合蛋白（50 - 70%存活）接种的小鼠，或用AHSV 9疫苗接种（40 - 50%存活）的小鼠。VP7蛋白的折叠或其组装成晶体被认为在观察到的保护性反应的有效性中发挥了一定作用。通过竞争ELISA测定针对AHSV VP7的循环抗体滴度，但似乎与观察到的保护水平无关。将这些抗体被动转移给同基因受体也未能保护Balb C小鼠免受AHSV 7攻击。因此，观察到的保护不太可能是由于抗体介导的免疫反应。
