Recombinant gp160 derived from human immunodeficiencyvirus type 1 (HIV-1)mB and produced in mammalian tissue culture cells using a vaccinia virus expression system (rgp160-mam) was evaluated as a ...vaccine in combination with alum and deoxycholate adjuvant. Sixty low-risk, uninfected subjects received 12.5 µg, 50.0 µg, or adjuvant control at 0, 1,6, and 12 months in a randomized, double-blind dose-escalation study. A single injection of 200 µg of vaccine was given at 18 months in an open study to 9 vaccinees who had received 50 µg. The vaccine was safe. Six of 16 subjects receiving 50 µg developed neutralizing antibody to HIV-1IIIB. Seven of the 9 boosted with 200 µg of vaccine at 18 months developed neutralizing antibodies. Lymphocyte proliferation to rgp160-mam and baculovirus-derived rgp160 and rgp120 was induced in both groups (12.5 and 50.0 µg) and appeared after the first dose. Further studies with higher doses of rgpl60-mam and vaccines derived from other strains of HIV-1 are warranted.
Defective vaccinia viruses were constructed that express functional Moloney murine leukemia virus-based vector genomes, giving rise to substantial titers of transduction-competent retrovirus ...particles after infection of a retroviral packaging cell line. For this purpose, the proviral retrovirus genome, engineered into the vaccinia virus mutant, was subjected to several modifications, including the replacement of retroviral promoter sequences by vaccinia virus sequences and the precise fusion of the transcription stop signal downstream of and the removal of such signals within the transcription unit, allowing cytoplasmic transcription of distinct full-length retroviral transcripts. Vaccinia-mediated expression of retroviral vector particles could be observed as early as 3 h postinfection and resulted in stable transduction of NIH/3T3 target cells at higher titers than the control performed by conventional plasmid transfections. Thus at least part of the vaccinia life cycle and retroviral assembly can occur concomitantly. Due to the favorable properties of vaccinia vectors, including high coding capacity, stability, and wide host range, defective vaccinia viral/retroviral chimeric vectors are promising tools for gene therapy applications.
Human collagen type III was immobilized covalently via activated carbohydrate moieties onto hydrazine-treated microtiter plates which could be used to measure von Willebrand factor (vWF) collagen ...binding activity (vWF:CBA) in an ELISA. Such plates were simple to prepare and remained stable at 4 degrees C and -20 degrees C for at least 2 months. Samples analyzed by this system included (a) normal human vWF fractionated according to the degree of multimerization, (b) normal citrated and EDTA plasma and corresponding serum, and (c) plasma from patients with von Willebrand disease (vWD) types 1 and 2. When related to the concentration of vWF antigen (vWF:Ag), proportionally low levels of vWF:CBA were found for samples lacking the high-molecular-weight multimers, while higher values were obtained for samples containing these multimers. The ratio of vWF:CBA/vWF:Ag sensitively reflected the functional and structural intactness of the vWF molecules for all analyzed samples. Monoclonal antibody directed to the region within the A1 domain of vWF which interacts with the glycoprotein Ib completely inhibited the vWF ristocetin cofactor (vWF:RistCof), while vWF:CBA was not affected. Thus vWF:CBA and vWF:RistCof clearly represent separate, noninterchangeable functional parameters of vWF. In conclusion, our results indicate that the newly described method for the immobilization of collagen onto microtiter plates is suitable for the determination of vWF:CBA. In conjunction with vWF:Ag and the calculated ratio of vWF:CBA/vWF:Ag, this method simplifies the detection and classification of patients with vWD and assists in quality control during the purification of normal vWF.
Fowlpox virus (FPV) insertion plasmids were constructed that, upon integration into the viral genome via in-vivo recombination, inactivate the viral thymidine kinase (tk) gene. Using this approach, ...no wild-type virus-free stocks of recombinant virus could be obtained. In contrast, either integration of foreign genes into the intergenic region of the intact FPV tk gene and the open reading frame located downstream, or the functional substitution of the inactivated FPV tk gene by an intact vaccinia virus tk gene resulted in the predicted stable recombinants that were free of wild-type virus. Our results suggest that in already highly attenuated poxvirus strains an intact tk gene is essential for efficient growth of the virus in cell culture.
The effect of patient preimmunization virus sequences on CTL responses during gp160 immunization were studied. Ten HLA-A2+, HIV+ asymptomatic patients with CD4+ T cells >500/mm3 were given two ...courses of HIV-1 MN rgp160 vaccine over a 2-year period. Envelope epitope-specific CTL responses, using PBMCs, were measured against peptide-coated autologous B lymphoblastoid cell lines. Optimum CTL epitopes were determined by HLA-A2-binding affinity of 9- to 10-mer peptides containing the HLA-A2.1-binding motif. Ten of the high- or intermediate-binding peptides were conserved among >50% of reported clade B HIV strains. These peptide-specific CTL activities and the patient virus sequences in peptide-coding regions were monitored. Six patients showed envelope peptide-specific CTL responses, which correlated with the presence of whole envelope antigen-specific CTL responses. Five of these patients, who showed responses to epitopes in the gp41 region (aa 814-824), had preimmunization virus similar to the vaccine sequence in this region. Three patients who did not show these epitope-specific responses had initially different sequences in the HIV gene encoding that region. The epitope-specific CTL responses appear to reflect recall responses, as only patients infected with virus containing the vaccine sequence developed them and they could be recalled with a second set of vaccine injections. This appears to be reminiscent of the concept of T cell "original antigenic sin." This vaccine was also immunogenic as measured by gp160-specific lymphocyte-proliferative responses. However, increased immune responses did not impact the HIV load or CTL epitope sequences during therapy.
The highly attenuated 'modified vaccinia Ankara' (MVA) strain is a potential live vaccine vector. Insertional inactivation of the tk-gene resulted in viruses difficult to purify. Co-integration of a ...functional fowlpox virus tk-gene allowed easy generation of recombinants, indicating that the genetically stable tk-gene region is a suitable insertion site, if tk-gene activity is substituted.
Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) has been linked to severe deficiency of ADAMTS-13 activity caused by autoantibodies inhibitory to ADAMTS-13. We report data on a patient with ...confirmed TTP who had severely reduced ADAMTS-13 activity but showed no ADAMTS-13 inhibition in a widely used fluid phase activity assay. With a newly developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, using immobilized recombinant ADAMTS-13, we found high titers of IgM and IgG antibodies that bound to ADAMTS-13, but did not neutralize protease activity. These autoantibodies probably influenced the half-life of ADAMTS-13 or its binding to the endothelial cell surface, thereby compromising ADAMTS-13 activity in vivo. Given that ADAMTS-13 may interact physiologically with various receptors or ligands, the occurrence, distribution, and the epitope mapping of nonneutralizing antibodies will be an important area for future research.
We have investigated the requirements necessary for high-level production of the hepatitis B virus (HBV strain ayw) large surface glycoprotein preS1 with vaccinia virus (VV) recombinants. In earlier ...studies, only nanogram amounts of preS1 could be obtained from cells infected with an appropriate recombinant VV carrying the
preS1 gene under the transcriptional control of a conventional VV promoter (p7.5). Here, we report that the use of an improved promoter system, i.e., the bacteriophage T7 polymerase/VV hybrid expression system (T7/EMC system) in combination with a G-C conversion at position 5 of the preS1 open reading frame, deleting the myristylation motif of the polypeptide, results in an at least 12-fold increase in
preS1 expression compared to the wild-type
preS1 expressed with the strongest homologous VV promoter system known so far. Although the T7/EMC promoter system was most effective, improved expression of the modified
preS1 (preS1dMyr) is independent from the promoter system used, from the insertion locus of the modified
preS1 within the VV genome and also from the cell line used for expression studies.
Dutch Kooiker dogs with hereditary von Willebrand disease have undetectable levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF), resulting in spontaneous haemorrhage of mucosal surfaces similar to the clinical ...picture of von Willebrand disease in humans. We used this canine model of von Willebrand disease to study the in vivo effects of a new recombinant von Willebrand factor (rvWF) preparation that contained all species of vWF multimers compared with a rvWF fraction containing only low molecular weight multimers (LMW‐rvWF) and with a plasma‐derived factor VIII/vWF concentrate (pdvWF). Administration of rvWF in these vWF‐deficient dogs resulted in a vWF:Ag half‐life of 21.6 h in one dog and 22.1 h in a second dog. Administration of pdvWF resulted in a half‐life for vWF:Ag of 7.7 h, and LMW‐rvWF, 9 h. The in vivo recovery of vWF:Ag after administration of rvWF was 59%, 64% and 70% in three dogs, respectively; 33% after pdvWF, and 92% after LMW‐rvWF. The in vivo recovery of ristocetin cofactor (RCoF) was 78%, 110% and 120% for rvWF, and 25% for pdvWF. Both rvWF and pdvWF caused increases in FVIII. Although no effect was seen on bleeding time at the dosages used, the rate of blood flow from cuticle wounds was reduced after a single bolus administration of rvWF. The rvWF was able to control a severe nose bleed in one dog.
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