Chemokine Genes Modulate Immune Responses Induced by HIV-1 Envelope Protein Gene Vaccine

To investigate the effect of chemokine gene immunization on immune responses induced by HIV-1 envelope protein gene vaccine and to explore new strategies against HIV, Balb/c mice were immunized with pVAX1GP120 alone or co-administered with the DNA encoding for RANTES、and MIP-1α. Their sera were collected for analyzing anti-HIV antibody and IFN-γ by ELISA, and splenocytes of Balb/c mice were isolated for detecting antigen-specific lymphoprolif-erative responses and specific CTL response by MTT and LDH assays, respectively. Our results showed that the anti-HIV antibody tilers of mice co-immunized with pVAX1GP120 and the DNA encoding for RANTES and MIP-1α were higher than that of mice immunized with pVAX1GP120 alone (P0. 01). The IFN-γ level of mice co-immunized with pVAX1GP120 and the DNA encoding for RANTES and MIP-1α was higher than that of mice immunized with pVAX1GP120 alone (P0. 01). In comparison with mice injected with pVAX1GP120 alone, the specific CTL cyto-toxity activity and antigen-specific lymphop