Immunization with Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Protects Rabbits against Hepatitis E-3 Virus Infection

Hyeon-Jeong Go; Byung-Joo Park; Hee-Seop Ahn; Sang-Hoon Han; Dong-Hwi Kim; Eu-Lim Lyoo; Da-Yoon Kim; Jae-Hyeong Kim; Joong-Bok Lee; Seung-Yong Park; Chang-Seon Song; Sang-Won Lee; Yang-Kyu Choi; In-Soo Choi

doi:10.3390/v14071432

Immunization with Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Protects Rabbits against Hepatitis E-3 Virus Infection

Viruses. 2022 Jun 29;14(7):1432. doi: 10.3390/v14071432.

Authors

Hyeon-Jeong Go¹, Byung-Joo Park¹, Hee-Seop Ahn¹, Sang-Hoon Han¹, Dong-Hwi Kim¹, Eu-Lim Lyoo¹, Da-Yoon Kim¹, Jae-Hyeong Kim¹, Joong-Bok Lee^{1

2

3}, Seung-Yong Park^{1

2

3}, Chang-Seon Song^{1

2

3}, Sang-Won Lee^{1

2

3}, Yang-Kyu Choi⁴, In-Soo Choi^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120 Neundong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea.
² KU Center for Animal Blood Medical Science, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea.
³ Konkuk University Zoonotic Diseases Research Center, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea.
⁴ Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120 Neundong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea.

Abstract

Here, rabbits were immunized with a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine prepared by expressing 239 amino acids of the swine hepatitis E virus (HEV)-3 capsid protein using a baculovirus system. Thirty specific-pathogen-free rabbits were divided into five groups (negative and positive control and 10, 50, and 100 μg VLP-vaccinated). Positive control group rabbits showed viremia and fecal viral shedding, whereas rabbits vaccinated with 10 μg VLP showed transient fecal viral shedding, and rabbits vaccinated with 50 and 100 μg VLP did not show viremia or fecal viral shedding. Serum anti-HEV antibody titers increased in a dose-dependent manner. Anti-HEV antibody titers were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in 100 μg VLP-vaccinated rabbits than in the negative control rabbits at week 4. Anti-HEV antibody titers were significantly higher in 50 and 10 μg VLP-vaccinated rabbits than in the negative control rabbits at weeks 8 and 11, respectively. Serum IFN-γ and IL-12 levels were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in rabbits vaccinated with 50 and 100 μg VLP than in the negative control rabbits at weeks 4 and 6. Liver tissues of 50 and 100 μg VLP-vaccinated rabbits displayed significantly less (p < 0.05) fibrosis than those of the positive control rabbits. The prepared VLP vaccine demonstrated dose-dependent immunogenicity sufficient for inducing anti-HEV antibody production, thus protecting rabbits against swine HEV-3.

Keywords: antibody; cytokine; hepatitis E virus; liver fibrosis; rabbit; virus-like particle.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Antibodies, Viral
Hepatitis Antibodies
Hepatitis E virus*
Hepatitis E*
Immunization
Rabbits
Swine
Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle*
Viremia / prevention & control

Substances

Antibodies, Viral
Hepatitis Antibodies
Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number: HI18C1836). This research was supported by a grant from the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI).