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Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is a promising candidate for the development of cost-effective vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae. In the present study, BALB/c mice were immunized with DNA vaccine vectors expressing the N-terminal region of PspA. Animals immunized with a vector expressing secreted PspA developed higher levels of antibody than mice immunized with the vector expressing the antigen in the cytosol. However, both immunogens elicited similar levels of protection against intraperitoneal challenge. Furthermore, immunization with exactly the same fragment in the form of a recombinant protein, with aluminium hydroxide as an adjuvant, elicited even higher antibody levels, but this increased humoral response did not correlate with enhanced protection. These results show that DNA vaccines expressing PspA are able to elicit protection levels comparable to recombinant protein, even though total anti-PspA IgG response is considerably lower.

Original publication

DOI

10.1099/jmm.0.46217-0

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Med Microbiol

Publication Date

04/2006

Volume

55

Pages

375 - 378

Keywords

Animals, Antibodies, Bacterial, Bacterial Proteins, Female, Immunoglobulin G, Mice, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Pneumococcal Infections, Pneumococcal Vaccines, Recombinant Proteins, Vaccines, DNA