Analysis of ChimeriVax Japanese Encephalitis Virus envelope for T-cell epitopes and comparison to circulating strain sequences

Vaccine. 2007 Nov 19;25(47):8077-84. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2007.09.026. Epub 2007 Sep 29.

Abstract

T-cell epitope variability is associated with viral immune escape and may influence the outcome of vaccination against the highly variable Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV). We computationally analyzed the ChimeriVax-JEV vaccine envelope sequence for T helper epitopes that are conserved in 12 circulating JEV strains and discovered 75% conservation among putative epitopes. Among non-identical epitopes, only minor amino acid changes that would not significantly affect HLA-binding were present. Therefore, in most cases, circulating strain epitopes could be restricted by the same HLA and are likely to stimulate a cross-reactive T-cell response. Based on this analysis, we predict no significant abrogation of ChimeriVax-JEV-conferred protection against circulating JEV strains.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Culicidae
  • Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / classification*
  • Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / immunology*
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / chemistry
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / chemistry
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / immunology*
  • West Nile Virus Vaccines / immunology*

Substances

  • ChimeriVax
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • Ligands
  • Viral Envelope Proteins
  • West Nile Virus Vaccines