Protective mucosal immunity elicited by targeted iliac lymph node immunization with a subunit SIV envelope and core vaccine in macaques

Abstract

Prevention of sexually transmitted HIV infection was investigated in macaques by immunization with a recombinant SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) envelope gp120 and core p27 vaccine. In two independent series of experiments, we used the novel targeted iliac lymph node (TILN) route of immunization, aiming close to the iliac lymph nodes draining the genitorectal mucosa. Rectal challenge with the SIVmac 32H J5 molecular clone in two series induced total protection in four out of seven macaques immunized by TILN, compared with infection in 13 of 14 unimmunized macaques or immunized by other routes (P = 0.025). The remaining three macaques showed either a decrease in viral load (>90%) or transient viremia, indicating that all seven TILN–immunized macaques showed total or partial protection (P = 0.001). Protection was associated with significant increase in the iliac lymph nodes of lgA antibody–secreting cells to p27 (P < 0.02), CD8–suppressor factor (P< 0.01), and the chemokines RANTES and MIP–1β (P< 0.01).