Immunogenicity of a protective whole cell mycobacterial vaccine in HIV-infected adults: A phase III study in Tanzania

Preventive immunization with whole inactivated Mycobacterium vaccae (MV) confers protection against HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB) in BCG-immunized adults with CD4 counts ≥200 cells/μl. We evaluated the immunogenicity of MV in the 2013 subjects of the phase III DarDarTrial using an interferon gamma (IFN-γ) enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), tritiated thymidine lymphocyte proliferation assay (LPA) and an ELISA for antibodies to the TB glycolipid lipoarabinomannan (LAM). MV immunization boosts IFN-γ and LPA responses to MV sonicate, and antibody responses to LAM. Post-immunization immune responses to MV correlated with baseline clinical factors, but the responses did not predict protection from HIV-associated TB.