HIV-1 p24 vaccine protects cats against feline immunodeficiency virus infection

Based on previous analysis of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-specific cross-reactive antibodies to HIV-1 p24, cats vaccinated with HIV-1 p24 were evaluated for cross-reactive immunity to FIV.

: To determine the level of cross-reactivity that exists between HIV-1 and FIV p24 and its implications for vaccine prophylaxis.

Specific-pathogen-free cats were immunized three times with HIV-1 p24 in Ribi adjuvant, with (n = 18) or without cytokine (n = 6). Control cats were immunized three times with adjuvant (n = 10) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; n = 5). All immunized cats were challenged with either subtypes B or A/B FIV, and monitored by virus isolation, proviral PCR, FIV-specific antibodies, and feline interferon-gamma ELISpot for T-cell activities.

Of 18 cats vaccinated with subtype B HIV-1 (HIV-1LAI/LAV, HIV-1UCD1) p24 in Ribi/cytokine adjuvant 14 (78%) were protected against FIV challenges (subtype Agag and Bgag) that infected all 15 adjuvant- or PBS-immunized cats. Furthermore, only three of six (50%) cats vaccinated with FIV p24 in Ribi/cytokine adjuvant were protected against similar FIV challenge. HIV-1 p24 vaccination induced weak cross-reactive antibodies to FIV p24, which did not correlate with vaccine efficacy. However, the peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV-1 p24-vaccinated/protected cats at 33-34 weeks post-FIV challenge responded to three T-cell responsive peptides at the carboxyl-terminus of the FIV p24, whereas those cells from the infected control cats had minimal to no responses to the same peptides.

These results suggest the importance of including lentiviral p24 as vaccine immunogen for human AIDS vaccine. Moreover, these results suggest the potential importance of evolutionarily conserved, cross-protective epitopes in vaccine protection.