Baseline Asymptomatic Malaria Infection and Immunogenicity of Recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus-Zaire Ebola Virus Envelope Glycoprotein.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The effect of malaria infection on the immunogenicity of the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-Zaire Ebola virus envelope glycoprotein (GP) vaccine (rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP) (ERVEBO) is unknown.

METHODS:

The Sierra Leone Trial to Introduce a Vaccine Against Ebola (STRIVE) vaccinated 7998 asymptomatic adults with rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP during the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic. In STRIVE's immunogenicity substudy, participants provided blood samples at baseline and at 1, 6, and 9-12 months. Anti-GP binding and neutralizing antibodies were measured using validated assays. Baseline samples were tested for malaria parasites by polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS:

Overall, 506 participants enrolled in the immunogenicity substudy and had ≥1 postvaccination antibody titer. Of 499 participants with a result, baseline malaria parasitemia was detected in 73 (14.6%). All GP enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) geometric mean titers (GMTs) at 1, 6, and 9-12 months were above baseline, and 94.1% of participants showed seroresponse by GP-ELISA (≥2-fold rise and ≥200 ELISA units/mL), while 81.5% showed seroresponse by PRNT (≥4-fold rise) at ≥1 postvaccination assessment. In participants with baseline malaria parasitemia, the PRNT seroresponse proportion was lower, while PRNT GMTs and GP-ELISA seroresponse and GMTs showed a trend toward lower responses at 6 and 9-12 months.

CONCLUSION:

Asymptomatic adults with or without malaria parasitemia had robust immune responses to rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP, persisting for 9-12 months. Responses in those with malaria parasitemia were somewhat lower.

• Authors: Barbara E Mahon, Jakub Simon, Marc-Alain Widdowson, Mohamed Samai, Eric Rogier, Jennifer Legardy-Williams, Kenneth Liu, Jarad Schiffer, James Lange, Carolynn DeByle, Robert Pinner, Anne Schuchat, Laurence Slutsker, Susan Goldstein
• Journal: The Journal of infectious diseases (J Infect Dis) Vol. 224 Issue 11 Pg. 1907-1915 (12 01 2021) ISSN: 1537-6613 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34013349 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2021.

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Viral
• Ebola Vaccines
• Recombinant Proteins
• Viral Envelope Proteins
• envelope glycoprotein, Ebola virus

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Animals
• Antibodies, Viral (blood)
• Asymptomatic Infections
• Ebola Vaccines (administration & dosage, adverse effects, immunology)
• Ebolavirus (genetics, isolation & purification)
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola (immunology, prevention & control)
• Humans
• Immunogenicity, Vaccine
• Malaria
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Parasitemia (prevention & control)
• Recombinant Proteins
• Sierra Leone
• Vesicular Stomatitis (immunology)
• Viral Envelope Proteins (adverse effects, immunology)