Serum and Cervicovaginal Fluid Antibody Profiling in Herpes Simplex Virus-Seronegative Recipients of the HSV529 Vaccine.

Publication Type Academic Article
Authors Wang K, Dropulic L, Bozekowski J, Pietz H, Jegaskanda S, Dowdell K, Vogel J, Garabedian D, Oestreich M, Nguyen H, Ali M, Lumbard K, Hunsberger S, Reifert J, Haynes W, Sawyer J, Shon J, Daugherty P, Cohen J
Journal J Infect Dis
Volume 224
Issue 9
Pagination 1509-1519
Date Published 11/16/2021
ISSN 1537-6613
Keywords Antibodies, Viral, Herpes Genitalis, Herpes Simplex, Herpes Simplex Virus Vaccines, Herpesvirus 2, Human, Viral Envelope Proteins, Viral Vaccines
Abstract Previous herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) vaccines have not prevented genital herpes. Concerns have been raised about the choice of antigen, the type of antibody induced by the vaccine, and whether antibody is present in the genital tract where infection occurs. We reported results of a trial of an HSV-2 replication-defective vaccine, HSV529, that induced serum neutralizing antibody responses in 78% of HSV-1-/HSV-2- vaccine recipients. Here we show that HSV-1-/HSV-2- vaccine recipients developed antibodies to epitopes of several viral proteins; however, fewer antibody epitopes were detected in vaccine recipients compared with naturally infected persons. HSV529 induced antibodies that mediated HSV-2-specific natural killer (NK) cell activation. Depletion of glycoprotein D (gD)-binding antibody from sera reduced neutralizing titers by 62% and NK cell activation by 81%. HSV-2 gD antibody was detected in cervicovaginal fluid at about one-third the level of that in serum. A vaccine that induces potent serum antibodies transported to the genital tract might reduce HSV genital infection.
DOI 10.1093/infdis/jiab139
PubMed ID 33718970
PubMed Central ID PMC8599754
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