Effect of Gamma Irradiation on the Antibody Response Measured in Human Serum from Subjects Vaccinated with Recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus-Zaire Ebola Virus Envelope Glycoprotein Vaccine

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2019 Jul;101(1):207-213. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0076.

Abstract

rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine is a live recombinant (r) vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), where the VSV G protein is replaced with the Zaire Ebola virus (ZEBOV) glycoprotein (GP). For vaccine immunogenicity testing, clinical trial sera collected during an active ZEBOV outbreak underwent gamma irradiation (GI) before testing in biosafety level 2 laboratories to inactivate possible wild-type ZEBOV. Before irradiating pivotal trial samples, two independent studies evaluated the impact of GI (50 kGy) on binding ZEBOV-GP (ELISA) antibodies against rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP, using sera from a North American phase 1 study. Gamma irradiation was associated with slightly higher antibody concentrations in pre-vaccination samples and slightly lower concentrations postvaccination. Results indicate that GI is a viable method for treating samples from regions where filoviruses are endemic, with minor effects on antibody titers. The impact of GI on immunogenicity analyses should be considered when interpreting data from irradiated specimens.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Antibodies, Viral / physiology
  • Antibodies, Viral / radiation effects*
  • Ebola Vaccines / immunology*
  • Ebolavirus / metabolism*
  • Gamma Rays*
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / epidemiology
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / immunology
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / prevention & control
  • Humans
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Serum / radiation effects*
  • Vaccination
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Ebola Vaccines
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Vaccines, Synthetic
  • Viral Envelope Proteins
  • envelope glycoprotein, Ebola virus