The EEHV1A gH/gL complex elicits humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in mice

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 42; no. 23; p. 126227
• Main Authors: Spencer Clinton, Jennifer L., Hoornweg, Tabitha E., Tan, Jie, Peng, Rongsheng, Schaftenaar, Willem, Rutten, Victor P.M.G., de Haan, Cornelis A.M., Ling, Paul D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 03.10.2024; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adaptive immunity; Adjuvants; Allergy and Immunology; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; antibody formation; Antibody response; Antigens; Chronic infection; Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus; Elephantid betaherpesvirus 1; Elephants; Female; Glycoproteins; Hemorrhagic disease; Herpes viruses; Herpesviridae Infections - immunology; Herpesviridae Infections - prevention & control; Herpesviridae Infections - veterinary; Herpesvirus; Herpesvirus 1, Equid - immunology; Herpesvirus Vaccines - immunology; Illnesses; Immune response; Immune response (cell-mediated); Immune response (humoral); Immunity, Cellular - immunology; Immunity, Humoral - immunology; Infections; Inoculation; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Ostomy; phenotype; Phenotypes; Plasmids; Proteins; rapid methods; subunit vaccines; Survival; Vaccine; Vaccines; Vaccines, Subunit - immunology; Viral Envelope Proteins - immunology; Viremia; viruses; United States > US; Vaccine; Elephants; Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus; Herpesvirus
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126227

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) causes lethal hemorrhagic disease (HD) in Asian and African elephants. Although rapid detection of viremia and supportive treatments may improve survival rates, an effective vaccine would mitigate the devastating effects of this virus. In elephants, chronic infection with EEHV leads to adaptive immunity against glycoproteins gB and gH/gL, the core entry machinery for most herpesviruses. We previously evaluated two EEHV gB vaccines in mice but not a gH/gL vaccine. Here, we found that inoculation of mice with an adjuvanted EEHV gH/gL subunit vaccine induced a significant antibody response that was similar to the response observed in elephants chronically infected with EEHV. Moreover, the gH/gL heterodimer elicited polyfunctional T cells with a Th1 phenotype but no detectable Th2 response. These results suggest that gH/gL, possibly in combination with gB, may be suitable immunogens for a vaccine comprising herpesvirus glycoproteins that are known to mediate cell entry and infection.