Detection of post-vaccination enhanced dengue virus infection in macaques: An improved model for early assessment of dengue vaccines

PLoS Pathog. 2019 Apr 22;15(4):e1007721. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007721. eCollection 2019 Apr.

Abstract

The need for improved dengue vaccines remains since the only licensed vaccine, Dengvaxia, shows variable efficacy depending on the infecting dengue virus (DENV) type, and increases the risk of hospitalization for severe dengue in children not exposed to DENV before vaccination. Here, we developed a tetravalent dengue purified and inactivated vaccine (DPIV) candidate and characterized, in rhesus macaques, its immunogenicity and efficacy to control DENV infection by analyzing, after challenge, both viral replication and changes in biological markers associated with dengue in humans. Although DPIV elicited cross-type and long-lasting DENV-neutralizing antibody responses, it failed to control DENV infection. Increased levels of viremia/RNAemia (correlating with serum capacity at enhancing DENV infection in vitro), AST, IL-10, IL-18 and IFN-γ, and decreased levels of IL-12 were detected in some vaccinated compared to non-vaccinated monkeys, indicating the vaccination may have triggered antibody-dependent enhancement of DENV infection. The dengue macaque model has been considered imperfect due to the lack of DENV-associated clinical signs. However, here we show that post-vaccination enhanced DENV infection can be detected in this model when integrating several parameters, including characterization of DENV-enhancing antibodies, viremia/RNAemia, and biomarkers relevant to dengue in humans. This improved dengue macaque model may be crucial for early assessment of efficacy and safety of future dengue vaccines.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology*
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology*
  • Antibody-Dependent Enhancement
  • Dengue / immunology*
  • Dengue / prevention & control
  • Dengue / virology
  • Dengue Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Dengue Vaccines / immunology*
  • Dengue Virus / immunology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Male
  • Vaccination
  • Vaccines, Inactivated / immunology*
  • Viremia / immunology*
  • Viremia / virology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Dengue Vaccines
  • Vaccines, Inactivated

Grants and funding

This work was funded by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA (Rixensart, Belgium) under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Fiocruz (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA was involved in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish and preparation of the manuscript.