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Protective Efficacy and Pulmonary Immune Response Following Subcutaneous and Intranasal BCG Administration in Mice
Published on: September 19, 2016
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Pilot studies of a human BCG challenge model.
Azra Blazevic1, Mei Xia1, Aldin Turan1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University, Doisy Research Center, 8th floor, 1100 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63104, United States.
Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
|June 15, 2017
Summary
A new intradermal Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) challenge model in five volunteers shows potential for evaluating tuberculosis (TB) vaccines. This model helps assess mycobacterial shedding and immune responses, aiding in the development of effective TB vaccination strategies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Vaccinology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Developing effective tuberculosis (TB) vaccines is hindered by the lack of reliable human challenge models for in vivo evaluation.
- Understanding the mechanisms of protective immunity against TB requires safe and reproducible methods to assess vaccine efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate an intradermal BCG challenge model in human volunteers as a surrogate for in vivo assessment of TB vaccine candidates.
- To compare the sensitivity and reproducibility of qPCR, CFU cultures, and MGIT TTP for quantifying BCG shedding.
Main Methods:
- Five volunteers received intradermal BCG vaccination.
- Swab specimens were collected from the vaccination site pre- and post-vaccination.
- BCG burden was quantified using TaqMan qPCR, 7H10 agar CFU cultures, and MGIT TTP.
Main Results:
- BCG shedding was detected in all volunteers by at least one method.
- No single method demonstrated superiority in sensitivity or reproducibility for BCG detection.
- Significant correlations were observed between qPCR, 7H10 CFU, and MGIT TTP, though with variations in early/late detection.
Conclusions:
- The intradermal BCG challenge model offers a promising tool for evaluating new TB vaccination strategies.
- This model can facilitate further research into the correlation between reactogenicity and immune mechanisms crucial for TB protection.
