Humoral response to HSV-1 subunit vaccines--a statistical analysis

Following primary infection with HSV, the virus becomes latent in the local sensory ganglia for the lifetime of the host. In some cases, periodic reactivation may occur due to various stimuli and cause a recrudescent lesion at or near the initial site of infection. As yet there is no suitable vaccine to prevent its spread within the human population. We investigated the potential of a large number of commercial and experimental adjuvant preparations to enhance the immunogenicity of an HSV-1 glycoprotein subunit vaccine. Evaluation was based on toxicity, total antibody titre, neutralizing antibody production and protection against lethal challenge. All adjuvants tested increased the titre of antigen specific total and neutralizing lg when compared to subunit vaccine alone, although functional neutralising antibody was only detected in some cases. Following challenge, a broad range of protective responses was noted but no correlation between antibody levels and protection was observed. The results emphasize the requirement of adjuvants when using subunit preparations as vaccine formulations and demonstrate that the magnitude and effectiveness of the induced immune response varies greatly with the choice of adjuvant.