Vaccinating guinea pigs with recombinant glycoprotein D of herpes simplex virus in an efficacious adjuvant formulation elicits protection against vaginal infection.

Guinea pigs were immunized with glycoprotein gD-2t in SAF-m or saline, then challenged with herpes simplex virus, type 2 (HSV-2). Animals given gD-2t in SAF-m had higher anti-gD-2t antibodies, fewer and less severe vaginal lesions, and decreased ganglionic latency compared to animals given gD-2t in saline. Leucocytes from animals vaccinated with gD-2t in SAF-m had greater proliferative responses to gD-2t in vitro than cells from control animals. MHC II-restricted, gD-2t-specific cytotoxic T cells were induced in guinea pigs vaccinated with gD-2t in SAF-m. Thus, immunization of guinea pigs with gD-2t in SAF-m markedly reduced the incidence and severity of primary HSV-2 by eliciting both humoral and cell-mediated responses.