An inactivated hand-foot-and-mouth disease vaccine using the enterovirus 71 (C4a) strain isolated from a Korean patient induces a strong immunogenic response in mice

PLoS One. 2017 May 24;12(5):e0178259. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178259. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a major causative agent of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) frequently occurring in children. HFMD induced by EV71 can cause serious health problems and has been reported worldwide, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. In this study, we assessed the immunogenicity of a formalin-inactivated HFMD vaccine using an EV71 strain (FI-EV71 C4a) isolated from a Korean patient. The vaccine candidate was evaluated in mice to determine the vaccination doses and vaccine schedules. BALB/c mice were intramuscularly administered 5, 10, or 20 μg FI-EV71 vaccine, followed by a booster 2 weeks later. EV71-specific antibodies and neutralizing antibodies were induced and maintained until the end of the experimental period in all vaccinated groups. To determine the effectiveness of adjuvant for the EV71 vaccine, three adjuvants, i.e., aluminium hydroxide gel, monophosphoryl lipid A, and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid, were administered separately with the FI-EV71 vaccine to mice via the intramuscular route. Mice administered the FI-EV71 vaccine formulated with all three adjuvants induced a significantly increased antibody response compared with that of the single adjuvant groups. The vaccinated group with triple adjuvants exhibited more rapid induction of EV71-specific and neutralizing antibodies than the other groups. These results suggested that the role of adjuvant in inactivated vaccine was important for eliciting effective immune responses against EV71. In conclusion, our results showed that FI-EV71 was a potential candidate vaccine for prevention of EV71 infection.

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / administration & dosage
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / biosynthesis
  • Antibodies, Viral / biosynthesis
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic
  • Enterovirus A, Human / immunology*
  • Enterovirus A, Human / isolation & purification
  • Female
  • Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease / immunology*
  • Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease / prevention & control*
  • Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease / virology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular
  • Immunization Schedule
  • Immunoglobulin G / biosynthesis
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Models, Animal
  • Republic of Korea
  • Vaccines, Inactivated / administration & dosage
  • Vaccines, Inactivated / immunology
  • Vaccines, Inactivated / pharmacology
  • Viral Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Viral Vaccines / immunology
  • Viral Vaccines / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Vaccines, Inactivated
  • Viral Vaccines

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the Korea National Institute of Health (grant no. NIH 4800-4845-300). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.