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Infection and Immunity, September 2002, p. 4785-4790, Vol. 70, No. 9
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.9.4785-4790.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
IRIS Research Center, Chiron SpA, 53100 Siena, Italy,1 Biovector Therapeutics, Chemin du Chêne Vert, 31676 Labège, France2
Received 25 February 2002/ Returned for modification 3 May 2002/ Accepted 13 June 2002
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Multiple strategies are currently pursued for the development of systems aimed at enhancing the immunogenicity of mucosally delivered vaccines. Most antigens are not immunogenic when delivered mucosally and require the use of strong adjuvants. Cholera toxin (CT) and Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) are the strongest mucosal adjuvants known so far (26). However, their use in humans is hampered by their very high toxicity. Indeed, 5 µg of CT is able to induce 1 to 6 liters of diarrheal feces (19). During the past few years, site-directed mutagenesis has permitted the generation of LT and CT mutants devoid of toxic activity, while retaining their strong mucosal adjuvanticity (26). Among these are the LTK63 and the LTR72 mutants (mutation in the A subunit Ser63
Lys and Ala72
Arg, respectively) (12, 26). The mucosal adjuvanticity of these mutants has now been tested in various systems with viral, bacterial, and parasitic models. After oral or intranasal (i.n.) delivery, vaccination with these mutants as adjuvants induced appropriate immune effector mechanisms (antibodies, CD4+ helper T cells, and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells) able to confer protection against the relevant infectious challenge (23).
Other systems aimed at enhancing immunogenicity of vaccines after i.n. delivery include the so-called "Supramolecular Biovectors" (SMBV), which are nanoparticles made of cationic cross-linked polysaccharides surrounded by a lipidic bilayer (8, 22). These nanoparticles are known to act as carriers for antigens and adjuvants (25, 28), to facilitate the delivery of antigens to antigen-presenting cells, and to induce strong antigen-specific immune responses after nasal delivery (2, 4, 25).
In the present work, we compared the mucosal adjuvanticity of one LT mutant (LTK63) with that of the SMBV system and evaluated the eventual enhancing effect of combining these adjuvant-delivery systems. To this end, we decided to use as a model a conjugated vaccine against group C Neisseria meningitidis, because it induces bactericidal antibodies, the titers of which are well known to correlate with protection. This vaccine consists of the group C capsular oligosaccharide from N. meningitidis conjugated to the nontoxic mutant of diphtheria toxin, CRM197 (CRM-MenC) (6); it has been shown to be immunogenic and efficacious in several clinical trials (18, 20, 21) and is now commercially available in several countries.
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The fully nontoxic LTK63 mutant of the E. coli LT was produced by site-directed mutagenesis of the wild-type toxin and purified as previously described (12).
SMBV nanoparticles were prepared from maltodextrin as described previously (3). Briefly, maltodextrin was dissolved in 2 N sodium hydroxide under magnetic stirring at room temperature, reticulated with epichlorohydrin, and derivatized with a cationic ligand (glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride). After 20 h, the gel obtained was neutralized with acetic acid and finally sheared under high pressure in a Minilab homogenizer (Rannie, APV Baker, Evreux, France). The 60-nm-diameter polysaccharidic nanoparticles obtained were untrafiltered to remove low-molecular-weight reagents and salts. SMBV nanoparticles were prepared by mixing polysaccharidic nanoparticles, dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC), and cholesterol at 80°C, allowing the adsorption of the lipids onto the nanoparticles (3, 8). The mean diameter of the SMBV, determined by laser light scattering with the N4MD Coulter nanoparticle analyzer (Coultronics, Margency, France), was 60 ± 15 nm. SMBV were composed of polysaccharides (77%) and a mixture of DPPC and cholesterol (70:30 [wt/wt]). Phospholipid, cholesterol, and polysaccharide concentrations were determined according to established methods (1, 10). Conjugated CRM-MenC vaccine and the LTK63 mucosal adjuvant were formulated together with the SMBV nanoparticles by simple mixing.
Mice and immunizations. Groups of six to eight female 6- to 8-week-old BALB/c mice (Charles River, Calco, Italy) were used in all of the experiments. In all groups, irrespective of the route of immunization, the mice received doses of the CRM-MenC vaccine, which contained 2.5 µg of the MenC oligosaccharide and 5 µg of the CRM197 carrier protein (corresponding to a 1:4 human dose). Whenever present, the mice received at each dose 1 µg of the LTK63 mutant and/or 100 µg of the Biovector system. For i.n. immunizations, unanesthetized mice received 20 µl of the vaccine formulation (10 µl in each nostril). Immunizations, either s.c. or i.n., were carried out on days 0, 21, and 35. Serum samples were taken on days 0 (pre), 20 (post-1), 34 (post-2), and 45 (post-3). At day 45, mice were sacrificed, and nasal washes (1 ml) were also collected from single mice according to the procedure already described (7, 12). Individual serum samples and nasal washes were frozen at -20°C until use.
Quantitation of MenC-specific and LT-specific antibodies. Titration of Men-C- and LT-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA antibodies was performed with sera and nasal washes from each mouse according to the assays already described. Briefly, for the titration of MenC-specific antibodies, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) microwell plates were coated with purified group C N. meningitidis capsular polysaccharide in the presence of methylated human albumin (31). For anti-LT antibodies, microwell plates were first coated with purified GM1 ganglioside (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.) followed by incubation with wild-type LT, as described in detail elsewhere (7, 12). Antigen-specific IgG and IgA were titrated by using alkaline phosphatase-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG or biotin-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgA antibody, respectively (anti-IgG antibody from Sigma Chemical Co. and anti-IgA antibody from Kierkegaard and Perry Laboratories, Gaithersburg, Md.). Antibody titers were defined as the serum or nasal wash dilution giving an optical density (OD) value higher than the mean plus 5 standard deviations of the values obtained with the preimmunization samples at the first dilution. Preimmunization samples consistently gave an OD value below 0.1. IgA antibody levels in nasal washes were normalized by dividing the antigen-specific IgA titers by the total amount of IgA measured by ELISA in the nasal washes from each mouse.
Titration of bactericidal antibodies. Bactericidal antibodies were titrated as already described (14, 24). Briefly, group C N. meningitidis strain 2996 was grown overnight at 37°C on chocolate agar plates (starting from a frozen stock) with 5% CO2. Colonies were collected and used to inoculate 7 ml of Mueller-Hinton broth containing 0.25% glucose to reach an OD at 620 nm (OD620) of 0.05 to 0.08. The culture was incubated for approximately 1.5 h at 37°C with shaking until the OD620 reached 0.23 to 0.24. Bacteria were diluted in 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) containing 10 mM MgCl2, 10 mM CaCl2, and 0.5% (wt/vol) bovine serum albumin (BSA) (assay buffer) at the working dilution of 105 CFU/ml. The total volume of the final reaction mixture was 50 µl, with 25 µl of the serial twofold dilution of test serum (individual or pooled samples) or nasal wash (pooled samples), 12.5 µl of bacteria at the working dilution, and 12.5 µl of baby rabbit complement (final concentration, 25%). Controls included bacteria incubated with complement serum and immune sera incubated with bacteria and with complement inactivated by heating at 56°C for 30 min. Immediately after the addition of the baby rabbit complement, 10 µl of the controls was plated on Mueller-Hinton agar plates by the tilt method (time 0). The 96-well plate was incubated for 1 h at 37°C with rotation. Seven microliters of each sample was plated on Mueller-Hinton agar plates as spots, whereas 10 µl of the controls was plated on Mueller-Hinton agar plates by the tilt method (time 1). Agar plates were incubated for 18 h at 37°C, and the colonies corresponding to time 0 and time 1 were counted.
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View this table: [in a new window] |
TABLE 1. Groups of mice and immunization treatments
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FIG. 1. Serum and mucosal anti-MenC antibody responses. Groups of six to eight BALB/c mice were immunized three times with the different formulations shown, containing the conjugated CRM-MenC vaccine (2.5 µg of oligosaccharide per dose) and the LTK63 mutant (1 µg per dose) with or without the SMBV (100 µg per dose). In group 7, conjugated CRM-MenC vaccine and the LTK63 mutant were in the same particles, whereas in group 6, they were in different particles. Serum samples were taken before (pre) and after (post-1, -2, and -3) each immunization and tested individually to quantitate MenC-specific IgG and IgA antibody titers. Nasal washes were taken only after the third immunization at the moment of sacrifice. Each column represents the mean of each group at each time point plus 1 standard deviation.
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The strong immunogenicity of the MenC vaccine given i.n. after formulation with both the LT mutant and the SMBV is further supported by the data representing the anti-MenC IgA antibody titers in the sera and in the nasal washes. Serum IgA titers to MenC were significantly higher in the groups of mice immunized with the vaccine in the presence of both adjuvant systems than in those receiving the vaccine with either one of the systems (Fig. 1). It is noteworthy that a higher serum IgA antibody response was evident already after the second immunizing dose. Furthermore, anti-MenC IgA antibody titers were detectable as well in the nasal washes taken after the third immunization. Interestingly, the highest IgA antibody titers in the serum were observed in the groups of mice that received the conjugated MenC vaccine in association with the SMBV (Fig. 1). In the nasal washes, the highest anti-MenC IgA antibody titers were observed in the groups of mice receiving the vaccine together with the SMBV (groups 4, 6, and 7). It is interesting that anti-MenC-specific IgG antibodies were consistently not detectable in the nasal washes of all groups of mice (data not shown).
As expected by the already known high immunogenicity of these mutants (26), all groups of mice immunized with vaccine formulations containing the LTK63 mutant had already mounted a strong anti-LT antibody response after the first immunization (Fig. 2). High titers of IgA antibodies were also detected in the serum samples. In addition, nasal washes contained very high titers of both IgA anti-LT antibodies, unlike the mucosal MenC-specific antibody response, which was characterized by IgA only. Anti-LT IgG antibodies were also detected in the nasal washes of all groups receiving the vaccine plus the LTK63 mutants (data not shown).
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FIG. 2. Serum and mucosal anti-LT antibody responses. Groups of six to eight BALB/c mice were immunized three times with the different formulations shown, containing the conjugated CRM-MenC vaccine (2.5 µg of oligosaccharide per dose) and the LTK63 mutant (1 µg per dose) with or without the SMBV (100 µg per dose). In group 7, conjugated CRM-MenC vaccine and the LTK63 mutant were in the same particles, whereas in group 6, they were in different particles. Serum samples were taken before (pre) and after (post-1, -2, and -3) each immunization, and tested individually to quantitate LT-specific IgG and IgA antibody titers. Nasal washes were taken only after the third immunization at the moment of sacrifice. Each column represents the mean of each group at each time point plus 1 standard deviation.
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FIG. 3. Bactericidal activity in serum samples and nasal washes of mice immunized three times with the different formulations shown in Table 1, containing the conjugated CRM-MenC vaccine (2.5 µg of oligosaccharide per dose) and the LTK63 mutant (1 µg per dose) with or without the SMBV (100 µg per dose). Bactericidal antibody titers from pooled serum samples taken before (pre) and after (post-1, -2, and -3) each immunization are shown. Bactericidal titers from individual serum samples did not differ from the data obtained with pooled samples (not shown). Results are expressed as the last dilution of the serum samples giving 50% bacterial killing. Bactericidal activity was also tested in nasal washes taken after the third immunization and pooled. Each pool was tested, starting from a 1:2 dilution. Considering the dilution factor inherent in the nasal wash, results are expressed as the actual numbers of surviving bacterial colonies.
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The data presented in this paper clearly show that i.n. delivery of conjugated MenC vaccines in the presence of LTK63 mutant and SMBV significantly enhances the immunogenicity and the protective efficacy of the vaccine. The best results were obtained when both the LTK63 and the SMBV were given together with the conjugated vaccine, in terms of antibody titers, and, more importantly, in terms of induction of protective bactericidal antibodies at the mucosal level. Formulations combining the nontoxic LT mutant and this delivery system clearly deserve further testing in humans. Some concerns have been expressed about the potential risks of localization in the central nervous system (CNS) of LT, CT, and their derivatives given as i.n. adjuvants (32). This may limit the use of these molecules in humans. However, the concomitant use of appropriate delivery systems, such as the SMBV, may contribute to reducing the amount of LT mutant necessary for good adjuvanticity. Furthermore, additional studies are required to determine whether fully nontoxic LT mutants, such as the LTK63 used in our study, may have side effects at the level of the CNS when delivered i.n. Comprehensive studies specifically addressing these issues are in progress.
Importantly, we have shown that this immunization strategy induces IgA-mediated bactericidal activity at the mucosal level, which can be particularly effective in fighting the infection at its portal of entry and in reducing the colonization by group C N. meningitidis. It is tempting to hypothesize that such an i.n. vaccine would show superior efficacy compared to the conventional parenteral vaccines not only in protecting against the meningogoccal disease, but also in protecting against bacterial carriage, thus reducing the spread of the meningococci from humans to humans.
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