Comparative Analysis of Swine Antibody Responses Following Vaccination with Live-Attenuated and Killed African Swine Fever Virus Vaccines

Authors

Hung Q. Luong, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Huong T. L. Lai, Vietnam National University of Agriculture
Lam Q. Truong, Vietnam National University of Agriculture
The N. Nguyen, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Hanh D. Vu, Vietnam National University of Agriculture
Hoa T. Nguyen, Vietnam National University of Agriculture
Lan T. Nguyen, Vietnam National University of Agriculture
Trang H. Pham, Vietnam National University of Agriculture
David Scott McVey, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Hiep Vu, University of Nebraska-lincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

11-3-2023

Citation

Luong, H.Q.; Lai, H.T.L.; Truong, L.Q.; Nguyen, T.N.; Vu, H.D.; Nguyen, H.T.; Nguyen, L.T.; Pham, T.H.; McVey, D.S.; Vu, H.L.X. Comparative Analysis of Swine Antibody Responses Following Vaccination with Live-Attenuated and Killed African Swine Fever Virus Vaccines. Vaccines 2023, 11, 1687. https://doi.org/10.3390/ vaccines11111687

Comments

Open access.

Abstract

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is circulating in many swine-producing countries, causing significant economic losses. It is observed that pigs experimentally vaccinated with a live-attenuated virus (LAV) but not a killed virus (KV) vaccine develop solid homologous protective immunity. The objective of this study was to comparatively analyze antibody profiles between pigs vaccinated with an LAV vaccine and those vaccinated with a KV vaccine to identify potential markers of vaccineinduced protection. Thirty ASFV seronegative pigs were divided into three groups: Group 1 received a single dose of an experimental LAV, Group 2 received two doses of an experimental KV vaccine, and Group 3 was kept as a non-vaccinated (NV) control. At 42 days post-vaccination, all pigs were challenged with the parental virulent ASFV strain and monitored for 21 days. All pigs vaccinated with the LAV vaccine survived the challenge. In contrast, eight pigs from the KV group and seven pigs from the NV group died within 14 days post-challenge. Serum samples collected on 41 days post-vaccination were analyzed for their reactivity against a panel of 29 viral structural proteins. The sera of pigs from the LAV group exhibited a strong antibody reactivity against various viral structural proteins, while the sera of pigs in the KV group only displayed weak antibody reactivity against the inner envelope (p32, p54, p12). There was a negative correlation between the intensity of antibody reactivity against five ASFV antigens, namely p12, p14, p15, p32, and pD205R, and the viral DNA titers in the blood of animals after the challenge infection. Thus, antibody reactivities against these five antigens warrant further evaluation as potential indicators of vaccine-induced protection.