%0 Journal Article %J Vaccine %D 2008 %T Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of tuberculosis subunit vaccines expressing PPE44 (Rv2770c). %A Marta Romano %A Rindi, Laura %A Korf, Hannelie %A Bonanni, Daniela %A Adnet, Pierre-Yves %A Fabienne Jurion %A Garzelli, Carlo %A Huygen, Kris %K Adjuvants, Immunologic %K Amino Acid Sequence %K Animals %K Antibodies, Bacterial %K Antibody Formation %K Antigens, Bacterial %K BCG Vaccine %K Cytokines %K Dna %K Epitopes %K Immunity, Cellular %K Immunotherapy, Adoptive %K mice %K Mice, Inbred Strains %K Molecular Sequence Data %K Mycobacterium tuberculosis %K Phylogeny %K RNA, Messenger %K Tuberculosis Vaccines %K Tuberculosis, Pulmonary %K Vaccines, DNA %K Vaccines, Synthetic %K Virulence Factors %X

In this study we have evaluated the vaccine potential of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen of the PPE protein family, namely PPE44 (Rv2770c). PPE44-specific immune responses could be detected in mice acutely, chronically and latently infected with M. tuberculosis. Vaccination of mice with a plasmid DNA vaccine coding for PPE44 or recombinant PPE44 protein formulated in adjuvant generated strong cellular and humoral immune responses; immunodominant T cell epitopes were identified. Most importantly, vaccination of mice with both subunit vaccines followed by an intratracheal challenge with M. tuberculosis resulted in a protective efficacy comparable to the one afforded by BCG. Taken together these results indicate that PPE44 of M. tuberculosis is a protective antigen that could be included in novel subunit TB vaccines and that warrants further analysis.

%B Vaccine %V 26 %P 6053-63 %8 2008 Nov 11 %G eng %N 48 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18822333?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.09.025