Protective anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa humoral and cellular mucosal immunity by AdC7-mediated expression of the P. aeruginosa protein OprF

Replication-deficient adenoviral (Ad) vectors are an attractive platform for a vaccine against lung infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Ad vectors based on non-human serotypes have been developed to circumvent the problem of pre-existing anti-Ad immunity in humans. The present study analyzes the anti-P. aeruginosa systemic and lung mucosal immunity elicited by a non-human primate-based AdC7 vector expressing the outer membrane protein F (AdC7OprF) of P. aeruginosa. Intramuscular immunization of mice with AdC7OprF induced similar levels of serum and mucosal anti-OprF IgG and increased levels of anti-OprF IgA in lung epithelial lining fluid (ELF) compared to immunization with a human serotype Ad5OprF vector (p > 0.05). OprF-specific INF-γ in splenic T cells stimulated with OprF-pulsed syngeneic splenic dendritic cells (DC) was similar following immunization with AdC7OprF compared to Ad5OprF (p > 0.05). In contrast, OprF-specific INF-γ responses in lung T cells stimulated with either spleen or lung DC were increased following immunization with AdC7OprF compared to Ad5OprF (p < 0.05). Interestingly, direct administration of AdC7OprF to the respiratory tract resulted in an increase of OprF-specific IgG in serum, OprF-specific IgG and IgA in lung ELF, and OprF-specific INF-γ in lung T-cells compared to immunization with Ad5OprF, and survival following challenge with a lethal dose of P. aeruginosa. These data demonstrate that systemic or lung mucosal immunization with an AdC7-based vaccine vector induces superior pulmonary humoral and cellular anti-transgene immunity compared to immunization with an Ad5-based vector and favors AdC7-based vectors as vaccines to induce lung mucosal immunity.