Humoral and T cell-mediated immune responses to bivalent killed bovine viral diarrhea virus vaccine in beef cattle

The objective of this research project was to evaluate the antibody and cell-mediated immune responses to a multivalent vaccine containing killed bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) types 1 and 2. Twenty castrated male crossbred beef cattle (350–420 kg body weight) seronegative to BVDV were randomly divided into two groups of 10 each. Group 1 served as negative mock-vaccinated control. Group 2 was vaccinated subcutaneously twice, 3 weeks apart, with modified live bovine herpesvirus 1, parainfluenza 3 virus and bovine respiratory syncytial virus diluted in diluent containing killed BVDV type 1 (strain 5960) and type 2 (strain 53637) in an adjuvant containing Quil A, Amphigen, and cholesterol. Serum samples were collected from all cattle at days −21, 0, and days 21, 28, 35, 56 and 70 post-vaccination. Standard serum virus neutralization tests were performed with BVDV type 1 (strain 5960) and type 2 (strain 125C). Anticoagulated blood samples were collected at day 0, and days 28, 35, 56 and 70 post-vaccination. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated, stimulated with live BVDV type 1 (strain TGAN) and type 2 (strain 890) and cultured in vitro for 4 days. Supernatants of cultured cells were collected and saved for interferon gamma (IFNγ) indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Four-color flow cytometry was performed to stain and identify cultured PBMC for three T cell surface markers (CD4, CD8, and γδ TCR) and to detect the activation marker CD25 (α chain of IL-2 receptor) expression. The net increase in %CD25+ cells (Δ%CD25+) of each T cell subset of individual cattle was calculated. The results of all post-vaccination weeks of each animal were plotted and the areas under the curve of each T cell subset were statistically analyzed and compared between groups. The mean area under the curve of the Δ%CD25+ data for days 0–70 of all subsets, except CD4−CD8+γδ TCR− (cytotoxic) T cell subset of both BVDV types 1 and 2 stimulated cells, of the vaccinated group were significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.05). IFNγ production by PBMC from the vaccinated group showed significantly higher results (P < 0.05) than the control group in the BVDV types 1 and 2 stimulated cells for at least some time points after vaccination. The vaccinated group also had significantly (P < 0.0001) higher neutralizing antibody titers than the control group from day 28 onward.