Address of Corresponding Author

Caries Res 2005;39:422-431 (DOI: 10.1159/000086851)

  Key Words

• DNA Vaccines
• Antigen-presenting cells
• Streptococcus mutans
• Dental caries

  Abstract

Targeting antigens to antigen-presenting cells by fusion to cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) has been shown to be a highly efficient method to enhance the efficacy of DNA vaccines. The purpose of this study was to determine the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the targeted fusion DNA construct pGJA-P, which contains the signal peptide and extracellular regions of human CTLA4 gene, the hinge and Fc regions of human Ig₁ gene, the glucan-binding domain of the Streptococcus mutans gtfB gene and the A-P fragment of the S. mutans pac gene, compared with the fusion DNA construct pGLUA-P, which contains only the glucan-binding domain of the S. mutansgtfB gene and the A-P fragment of the S. mutans pac gene. BALB/c mice were immunized with pGJA-P, pGLUA-P, or pCI (vector) by the intramuscular or intranasal route. Specific anti-PAc and anti-GTF-I serum IgG and salivary IgA antibody responses were assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Wistar rats were orally challenged with S. mutans and immunized with pGJA-P, pGLUA-P, or pCI intramuscularly or intranasally, and caries activity was evaluated by the Keyes method. pGJA-P induced accelerated and increased serum and salivary antibody responses in mice compared with pGLUA-P. Rats immunized with pGJA-P had significantly fewer caries lesions than rats immunized with pGLUA-P (p < 0.01). Thus, this study demonstrates that the targeted DNA construct pGJA-P can enhance both systemic and mucosal immunity and may be a useful strategy for improving the protective efficacy of anticaries DNA vaccines.

Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Prof. Mingwen Fan
Stomatological College of Wuhan University
Luoyu Road 237
430079 Wuhan, Hubei (China)
Tel./Fax +86 27 87647443, E-Mail kqyywjtx@public.wh.hb.cn

  Article Information

Q.-an Xu and F. Yu contributed equally to this work.

Received: May 25, 2004
Accepted after revision: February 4, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 10
Number of Figures : 5, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 35