DNA prime–protein boost vaccination enhances protective immunity against infectious bursal disease virus in chickens

Infectious bursal disease virus causes an acute contagious immunosuppressive disease in chickens. Using VP2 protein from IBDV (Gx strain) as the immunogen, the goal of the current study was to evaluate the immune responses and protective efficacy elicited by different prime–boost vaccination regimens (DNA only, protein only, and DNA plus protein) in chickens. The results indicated that both pCAGoptiVP2 plasmid and rVP2 protein induced humoral and cellular immune responses. Chickens in the DNA prime–protein boost group developed significantly higher levels of ELISA and neutralizing antibodies to IBDV compared with those immunized with either the DNA vaccine or the protein vaccine alone (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the highest levels of lymphocyte proliferation response, IL-4 and IFN-γ production were induced following priming with the DNA vaccine and boosting with the rVP2 protein. Additionally, chickens inoculated with the DNA prime–protein boost vaccine had 100% protection against challenge with vvIBDV, as evidenced by the absence of clinical signs, mortality, and bursal atrophy. In contrast, chickens receiving the DNA vaccine and the rVP2 protein vaccine had 67% and 80% protection, respectively. These findings demonstrated that the DNA prime–protein boost immunization strategy was effective in eliciting both humoral and cellular immune responses in chickens, highlighting the potential value of such an approach in the prevention of vvIBDV infection.