An O-Specific Polysaccharide/Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine Induces Protection in Guinea Pigs against Virulent Challenge with <i>Coxiella burnetii</i>
Q fever is caused by the bacterium <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> and is spread to humans from infected animals especially goats, sheep and cattle, predominantly when giving birth. There is an effective human vaccine (Q-VAX) against Q fever, and although Q fever is a worldwide problem, the vac...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Vaccines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/9/1393 |
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| author | Stephen R. Graves Aminul Islam Lawrence D. Webb Ian Marsh Karren Plain Mark Westman Xavier A. Conlan Rodney Carbis Rudolf Toman John Stenos |
| author_facet | Stephen R. Graves Aminul Islam Lawrence D. Webb Ian Marsh Karren Plain Mark Westman Xavier A. Conlan Rodney Carbis Rudolf Toman John Stenos |
| author_sort | Stephen R. Graves |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Q fever is caused by the bacterium <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> and is spread to humans from infected animals especially goats, sheep and cattle, predominantly when giving birth. There is an effective human vaccine (Q-VAX) against Q fever, and although Q fever is a worldwide problem, the vaccine is only used in Australia due to difficulties associated with its use and the risk of adverse reactions. The desire to protect humans, particularly farmers and abattoir workers, from Q fever prompted the development of a new safe and effective human vaccine without all the difficulties associated with the current vaccine. Candidate vaccines were prepared using purified O-specific polysaccharide (OSP) extracted from the lipopolysaccharide of virulent (phase 1) <i>C. burnetii</i>, strain Nine Mile, which was then conjugated to a tetanus toxoid (TT) carrier protein. Two vaccines were prepared using OSP from <i>C. burnetii</i> grown in embryonated eggs (vaccine A) and axenic media (vaccine B). Vaccines with or without alum adjuvant were used to vaccinate guinea pigs, which were later challenged by intranasal inoculation with virulent <i>C. burnetii</i>. Both vaccines protected guinea pigs from fever and loss of weight post challenge. Post-mortem samples of the spleen, liver and kidney of vaccinated guinea pigs contained substantially less <i>C. burnetii</i> DNA as measured by PCR than those of the unvaccinated control animals. This study demonstrated that a <i>C. burnetii</i> OSP-TT conjugate vaccine is capable of inducing protection against virulent <i>C. burnetii</i> in guinea pigs. Additionally, OSP derived from <i>C. burnetii</i> grown in axenic media compared to OSP from embryonated eggs is equivalent in terms of providing a protective immune response. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:17:19Z |
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| id | doaj.art-782eca37f8764f47a56d2ed1360ae5a7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:17:19Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-782eca37f8764f47a56d2ed1360ae5a72023-11-23T19:20:17ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2022-08-01109139310.3390/vaccines10091393An O-Specific Polysaccharide/Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine Induces Protection in Guinea Pigs against Virulent Challenge with <i>Coxiella burnetii</i>Stephen R. Graves0Aminul Islam1Lawrence D. Webb2Ian Marsh3Karren Plain4Mark Westman5Xavier A. Conlan6Rodney Carbis7Rudolf Toman8John Stenos9Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, University Hospital, Geelong, VIC 3220, AustraliaAustralian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, University Hospital, Geelong, VIC 3220, AustraliaSchool of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216, AustraliaElizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Menangle, NSW 2567, AustraliaElizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Menangle, NSW 2567, AustraliaElizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Menangle, NSW 2567, AustraliaSchool of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216, AustraliaSymbioticus Pty Ltd., Strathmore, VIC 3041, AustraliaInstitute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 05 Bratislava, SlovakiaAustralian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, University Hospital, Geelong, VIC 3220, AustraliaQ fever is caused by the bacterium <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> and is spread to humans from infected animals especially goats, sheep and cattle, predominantly when giving birth. There is an effective human vaccine (Q-VAX) against Q fever, and although Q fever is a worldwide problem, the vaccine is only used in Australia due to difficulties associated with its use and the risk of adverse reactions. The desire to protect humans, particularly farmers and abattoir workers, from Q fever prompted the development of a new safe and effective human vaccine without all the difficulties associated with the current vaccine. Candidate vaccines were prepared using purified O-specific polysaccharide (OSP) extracted from the lipopolysaccharide of virulent (phase 1) <i>C. burnetii</i>, strain Nine Mile, which was then conjugated to a tetanus toxoid (TT) carrier protein. Two vaccines were prepared using OSP from <i>C. burnetii</i> grown in embryonated eggs (vaccine A) and axenic media (vaccine B). Vaccines with or without alum adjuvant were used to vaccinate guinea pigs, which were later challenged by intranasal inoculation with virulent <i>C. burnetii</i>. Both vaccines protected guinea pigs from fever and loss of weight post challenge. Post-mortem samples of the spleen, liver and kidney of vaccinated guinea pigs contained substantially less <i>C. burnetii</i> DNA as measured by PCR than those of the unvaccinated control animals. This study demonstrated that a <i>C. burnetii</i> OSP-TT conjugate vaccine is capable of inducing protection against virulent <i>C. burnetii</i> in guinea pigs. Additionally, OSP derived from <i>C. burnetii</i> grown in axenic media compared to OSP from embryonated eggs is equivalent in terms of providing a protective immune response.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/9/1393conjugate vaccineQ-fever<i>Coxiella burnetii</i>axenic media |
| spellingShingle | Stephen R. Graves Aminul Islam Lawrence D. Webb Ian Marsh Karren Plain Mark Westman Xavier A. Conlan Rodney Carbis Rudolf Toman John Stenos An O-Specific Polysaccharide/Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine Induces Protection in Guinea Pigs against Virulent Challenge with <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> Vaccines conjugate vaccine Q-fever <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> axenic media |
| title | An O-Specific Polysaccharide/Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine Induces Protection in Guinea Pigs against Virulent Challenge with <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> |
| title_full | An O-Specific Polysaccharide/Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine Induces Protection in Guinea Pigs against Virulent Challenge with <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> |
| title_fullStr | An O-Specific Polysaccharide/Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine Induces Protection in Guinea Pigs against Virulent Challenge with <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | An O-Specific Polysaccharide/Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine Induces Protection in Guinea Pigs against Virulent Challenge with <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> |
| title_short | An O-Specific Polysaccharide/Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine Induces Protection in Guinea Pigs against Virulent Challenge with <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> |
| title_sort | o specific polysaccharide tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine induces protection in guinea pigs against virulent challenge with i coxiella burnetii i |
| topic | conjugate vaccine Q-fever <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> axenic media |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/9/1393 |
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