Induction of cellular immunity to varicella‐zoster virus glycoproteins tested with pernasal coadministration of escherichia coli enterotoxin in mice

A mutant of Escherichia coli enterotoxin promotes the induction of cellular immunity to a live varicella vaccine (the Oka strain) as a mucosal adjuvant in mice. An investigation was carried out to determine which of the purified glycoproteins of the virus among three induced cellular immunity with a single nasal administration. Spleen cells from mice immunized nasally with the vaccine and toxin produced interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) at the same level on restimulation in vitro with glycoprotein H: glycoprotein L (gH:gL), gB, and gE:gI, but not IL‐4. The spleen cells from mice immunized with gH:gL, gB, or gE:gI and toxin produced IL‐2 on restimulation with gH:gL, gB, or gE:gI, respectively, and the vaccine, but not IL‐4. Immunization with gH:gL and the toxin showed increased thymidine uptake and production of IL‐2 and interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) of the spleen cells, but not IL‐4, depending on the dose of gH:gL used for immunization and restimulation in vitro. Purified gE:gI and gB have been reported to be the strongest stimulators of cellular immunity to varicella upon subcutaneous injection and are useful as a subunit vaccine. All the glycoproteins tested are excellent stimulators of cellular immunity to the virus and itself on nasal co‐immunization with the toxin. J. Med. Virol. 69:451–458, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.