Expression of B-cell activating factor enhances protective immunity of a vaccine against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Publication Type	Academic Article
Authors	Tertilt C, Joh J, Krause A, Chou P, Schneeweiss K, Crystal R, Worgall S
Journal	Infect Immun
Volume	77
Issue	7
Pagination	3044-55
Date Published	04/13/2009
ISSN	1098-5522
Keywords	Adjuvants, Immunologic, B-Cell Activating Factor, Pseudomonas Vaccines, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Abstract	B-cell activating factor (BAFF), a member of the TNF family, is a potent cytokine with stimulatory effects on B and T cells. To evaluate the potential of transient overexpression of BAFF to enhance vaccine immunogenicity, a replication-deficient adenovirus expressing full-length murine BAFF (AdBAFF) was tested in a mouse vaccine model against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. When coadministered with heat-killed P. aeruginosa, AdBAFF mediated a significant increase in anti-P. aeruginosa-specific serum and lung mucosal antibodies and resulted in improved protection against a lethal respiratory challenge with P. aeruginosa. This effect was independent of the site of administration of AdBAFF and was observed both when AdBAFF was given simultaneously with heat-killed P. aeruginosa as well as when AdBAFF was administered 4 weeks after immunization with heat-killed P. aeruginosa. These data demonstrate that a temporal increase in systemic BAFF levels is able to augment a P. aeruginosa-specific immune response upon immunization with heat-killed P. aeruginosa, suggesting that the immune-stimulatory effects of BAFF may be exploited as a molecular adjuvant for genetic vaccines.
DOI	10.1128/IAI.00927-08
PubMed ID	19364838
PubMed Central ID	PMC2708570