The evaluation of a lectin-agarose based subunit vaccine and complementary diagnostic antigen for Aujeszky's disease (pseudorabies) in the pig

Abstract

Eleven out of 25 pigs were immunized with a lectin--agarose based subunit vaccine for Aujeszky's disease (AD). The vaccine was prepared by extracting protective antigens from a non-ionic detergent (Triton-X-100) extract of AD virus-infected PK-la cells with Lens culinaris agglutinin immobilized on agarose beads. Two groups of 3 and 4 pigs received 2 doses of vaccine each containing 426 micrograms of adsorbed protein. Two groups of 2 pigs each received 2 vaccine doses containing either 23 or 33 micrograms of adsorbed protein. All vaccinated pigs survived a nasal challenge of 10(8.5) PFU of virulent AD virus while 13 out of 14 (93%) uninoculated controls died between Days 5 and 9 post challenge. This immunizing preparation qualified as a practical subunit vaccine because pigs were protected with relatively small amounts of protective antigen while at the same time remained free of detectable antibody to a complementary diagnostic antigen. This antigen was obtained in relatively pure form from the maintenance medium of virus-infected cells 4 h post-inoculation. In addition both high and low dose vaccinates failed to produce detectable antibody to at least one other antigen complex. The composition of Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA) and Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA)-purified AD viral antigen preparations were also compared by crossed immunoelectrophoretic techniques. Both preparations contained two antigen complexes and two individual antigens in common. Each preparation also contained its own unique antigen complex. The RCA purified antigen preparation also contained small quantities of a single antigen that was not detectable in the LCA antigen preparation.