Antibody Response of Dogs After Immunisation with Chimeric Vaccine Against Borreliosis

Abstract

Two chimeric recombinant fusion proteins (ch-rOspC and ch-rOspA) were created. They are composed of the immunodominant domains of OspC and OspA proteins described in the clinically most important strains of Borrelia. The gene constructs for these chimeric proteins were inserted into plasmids pET28 allowing induced gene expressions in a bacterial system.

The proteins were expressed in E. coli BL21 strains, purified and used for preparation of the vaccine.

One dose of the tested vaccines contained 50 μg of each relevant protein (ch-rOspC, ch-rOspA, or ch-rOspC + ch-rOspA). PET GEL A (Seppic) or Aluminium hydroxide gel as the immune adjuvants were used.

The dogs were vaccinated three times at 21 days intervals subcutaneously or intradermally and unvaccinated controls were also included.

The vaccine-elicited serum action antibodies specific to OspA and OspC were determined using in-house ELISA sets.

The immunisation induced specific antibody response in the vaccinated animals and OspC and OspA from representative genospecies B. garinii, B. afzelii, and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto were recognized. The control dogs were without antibody response.

ELISA examination enables determination of specific post-vaccination antibodies against OspA and OspC. Detection of these antibodies and their quantification may be used for evaluation of efficiency of vaccines.