Citations

ABSTRACT Measles remains a leading cause of death worldwide among children because it suppresses immune function. The measles virus (MV) P gene encodes three proteins (P, V, and C) that interfere with innate immunity, controlling STAT1, STAT2, mda5, and perhaps other key regulators of immune function. We identified here three residues in the shared domain of the P and V proteins—tyrosine 110, valine 112, and histidine 115—that function to retain STAT1 in the cytoplasm and inhibit interferon transcription. This information was used to generate a recombinant measles virus unable to antagonize STAT1 function (STAT1-blind MV) differing only in these three residues from a wild-type strain of well-defined virulence. This virus was used to assess the relevance of P and V interactions with STAT1 for virulence in primates. When a group of six rhesus monkeys ( Macaca mulatta ) was inoculated intranasally with STAT1-blind MV, viremia was short-lived, and the skin rash and other clinical signs observed with wild-type MV were absent. The STAT1-blind virus less efficiently controlled the inflammatory response, as measured by enhanced transcription of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from infected hosts. Importantly, neutralizing antibody titers and MV-specific T-cell responses were equivalent in hosts infected with either virus. These findings indicate that efficient MV interactions with STAT1 are required to sustain virulence in a natural host by controlling the inflammatory response against the virus. They also suggest that selectively STAT1-blind MV may have utility as vectors for targeted oncolysis and vaccination.

ABSTRACTThe signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM; CD150) is the immune cell receptor for measles virus (MV). To assess the importance of the SLAM-MV interactions for virus spread and pathogenesis, we generated a wild-type IC-B MV selectively unable to recognize human SLAM (SLAM-blind). This virus differs from the fully virulent wild-type IC-B strain by a single arginine-to-alanine substitution at amino acid 533 of the attachment protein hemagglutinin and infects cells through SLAM about 40 times less efficiently than the isogenic wild-type strain.Ex vivo, this virus infects primary lymphocytes at low levels regardless of SLAM expression. When a group of six rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) was inoculated intranasally with the SLAM-blind virus, no clinical symptoms were documented. Only one monkey had low-level viremia early after infection, whereas all the hosts in the control group had high viremia levels. Despite minimal, if any, viremia, all six hosts generated neutralizing antibody titers close to those of the control monkeys while MV-directed cellular immunity reached levels at least as high as in wild-type-infected monkeys. These findings prove formally that efficient SLAM recognition is necessary for MV virulence and pathogenesis. They also suggest that the selectively SLAM-blind wild-type MV can be developed into a vaccine vector.

ABSTRACT The widely used hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine is based on three doses of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) protein. We previously showed that vectored measles viruses (MV) expressing HBsAg retain measles vaccine function in monkeys but do not induce a protective anti-HBs response in all animals. We show here that a single dose of HBsAg protein following a three-dose vaccination regimen with an optimized HBsAg-expressing MV elicits protective anti-HBs responses in all four vaccinated Rhesus monkeys. Vaccination strategies coupling the effective, long-term immunity elicited by the high-coverage MV vaccine to prophylactic HBV immunity are discussed.

ABSTRACT Hepatitis B virus (HBV) acute and chronic infections remain a major worldwide health problem. Towards developing an anti-HBV vaccine with single-dose scheme potential, we engineered infectious measles virus (MV) genomic cDNAs with a vaccine strain background and expression vector properties. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) expression cassettes were inserted into this cDNA and three MVs expressing HBsAg at different levels generated. All vectored MVs, which secrete HBsAg as subviral particles, elicited humoral responses in MV-susceptible genetically modified mice. However, small differences in HBsAg expression elicited vastly different HBsAg antibody levels. The two vectors inducing the highest HBsAg antibody levels were inoculated into rhesus monkeys ( Macaca mulatta ). After challenge with a pathogenic MV strain (Davis 87 ), control naive monkeys showed a classic measles rash and high viral loads. In contrast, all monkeys immunized with vaccine or a control nonvectored recombinant vaccine or HBsAg-expressing vectored MV remained healthy, with low or undetectable viral loads. After a single vaccine dose, only the vector expressing HBsAg at the highest levels elicited protective levels of HBsAg antibodies in two of four animals. These observations reveal an expression threshold for efficient induction of HBsAg humoral immune responses. This threshold is lower in mice than in macaques. Implications for the development of divalent vaccines based on live attenuated viruses are discussed.

AbstractThe objective of this study was to determine the relation between the presence of a bullet (gunshot) after injury to the colon and the incidence of sepsis in its track and the soft tissue where it is retained. A retrospective review was carried out of the charts of consecutive patients admitted for abdominal gunshot wounds with proved colon injury during laparotomy where the bullet was either retained in the soft tissue or exited the body. The review covered a period of 4 years beginning January 1, 1990. Three groups were identified for analysis: (1) patients from whom the bullet was surgically removed, with additional cleansing and débridement of the area ( n= 21); (2) patients who did not undergo surgical removal of the bullet (n= 81); and (3) patients in whom the bullet exited spontaneously and in whom only débridement of the skin was carried out (n= 83). Similar risk factors were noted among the groups (age, ATI score, colostomy rate), except for a higher incidence of shock in group 3 (p= 0.003). The incidence of sepsis in soft tissue was least in group 1. It was five and seven times greater in groups 2 and 3, respectively. After an abdominal gunshot with colon injury, the missile should be removed if feasible and the local tissue débrided. If the bullet has exited spontaneously, its internal track must be débrided and lavaged extensively.