Immune response of mice to a latency membrane protein 2 multiepitope antigen of Epstein-Barr virus applied as DNA vaccine and/or peptide vaccine

To evaluate immune responses of mice to a latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2) multiepitope antigen of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), four kinds of prime-boost strategies were applied. In group 1, mice were primed and boosted with DNA vaccine delivered by human papillomavirus (HPV) major capsid protein L1 on weeks 0, 2, 4, and 6. Mice in group 2 were primed with DNA vaccine on weeks 0 and 2, and boosted with peptide vaccine on weeks 4 and 6. In group 3, mice were primed with peptide vaccine on weeks 0 and 2, and boosted with DNA vaccine on weeks 4 and 6. Mice in group 4 were primed and boosted with DNA vaccine together with peptide vaccine on weeks 0, 2, 4 and 6. EBV-LMP2-specific IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, and IgA antibodies, and HPV L1-specific IgG antibodies were determined by ELISA. Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) activity was measured by LDH release assay. The results of this study show that priming with DNA vaccine, and boosting with peptide vaccine (group 2) induced a significant humoral immune response, and also an effective CTL activity, which could be regarded as an optimal prime-boost strategy for improving the immune effects of EBV-LMP2 multiepitope antigen.