1. Intranasal IgG4/7 antibody responses protect horses against equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection including nasal virus shedding and cell-associated viremia.
- Author
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Perkins, Gillian, Babasyan, Susanna, Stout, Alison E., Freer, Heather, Rollins, Alicia, Wimer, Christine L., and Wagner, Bettina
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VIRAL shedding , *ANTIBODY formation , *HORSES , *VIRAL antibodies , *INFECTION prevention , *EPITHELIAL cells , *HORSE training - Abstract
Equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreaks continue despite widely used vaccination. We demonstrated previously that an ORF1/ORF71 gene deletion mutant of the EHV-1 strain Ab4 (Ab4ΔORF1/71) is less virulent than its parent Ab4 virus. Here, we describe the Ab4 challenge infection evaluating protection induced by the Ab4ΔORF1/71 vaccine candidate. Susceptible control horses developed respiratory disease, fever, nasal shedding, and viremia. Full protection after challenge infection was observed in 5/5 previously Ab4 infected horses and 3/5 Ab4ΔORF1/71 horses. Two Ab4ΔORF1/71 horses developed short-lasting viremia and/or virus shedding. Protective immunity in the respiratory tract was characterized by pre-existing EHV-1-specific IgG4/7 antibodies, the absence of IFN-α secretion and rapidly increasing IgG4/7 upon challenge infection. Pre-existing systemic EHV-1-specific IgG4/7 highly correlated with protection. T-cell immunity was overall low. In conclusion, protective immunity against EHV-1 infection including prevention of viremia was associated with robust systemic and intranasal IgG4/7 antibodies suggesting immediate virus neutralization at the local site. • ORF1/ORF71 gene deletion from the EHV-1 strain Ab4 reduces virulence and induces similar protection as parent Ab4 virus. • Susceptible horses secrete high amounts of intranasal IFN-a, CCL2, or sCD14 during EHV-1 shedding. • Missing IFN-a, CCL2, and sCD14 secretion at the nasal infection site points to lack of EHV-1 entry into epithelial cells. • Protective host immunity is linked to existing intranasal EHV-1-specific IgG4/7 antibodies suggesting virus neutralization. • High serum IgG4/7 antibodies are robust correlates of protection from disease, EHV-1 shedding and viremia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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