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Perotti M, Marcandalli J, Demurtas D, Sallusto F, Perez L. Rationally designed Human Cytomegalovirus gB nanoparticle vaccine with improved immunogenicity. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1009169. [PMID: 33370407 PMCID: PMC7794029 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the primary viral cause of congenital birth defects and causes significant morbidity and mortality in immune-suppressed transplant recipients. Despite considerable efforts in vaccine development, HCMV infection still represents an unmet clinical need. In recent phase II trials, a MF59-adjuvanted gB vaccine showed only modest efficacy in preventing infection. These findings might be attributed to low level of antibodies (Abs) with a neutralizing activity induced by this vaccine. Here, we analyzed the immunogenicity of each gB antigenic domain (AD) and demonstrated that domain I of gB (AD5) is the main target of HCMV neutralizing antibodies. Furthermore, we designed, characterized and evaluated immunogenic responses to two different nanoparticles displaying a trimeric AD5 antigen. We showed that mice immunization with nanoparticles induces sera neutralization titers up to 100-fold higher compared to those obtained with the gB extracellular domain (gBECD). Collectively, these results illustrate with a medically relevant example the advantages of using a general approach combining antigen discovery, protein engineering and scaffold presentation for modern development of subunit vaccines against complex pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Perotti
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Marcandalli
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Davide Demurtas
- BioEM Facility, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Federica Sallusto
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Perez
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Bellinzona, Switzerland.,University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology and Allergy, Center for Human Immunology (CHIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Rozhnova G, E Kretzschmar M, van der Klis F, van Baarle D, Korndewal M, C Vossen A, van Boven M. Short- and long-term impact of vaccination against cytomegalovirus: a modeling study. BMC Med 2020; 18:174. [PMID: 32611419 PMCID: PMC7331215 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-020-01629-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) is highly prevalent worldwide and can cause severe disease in immunocompromised persons and congenitally infected infants. The disease burden caused by congenital CMV infection is high, especially in resource-limited countries. Vaccines are currently under development for various target groups. METHODS We evaluated the impact of vaccination strategies and hygiene intervention using transmission models. Model parameters were estimated from a cross-sectional serological population study (n=5179) and a retrospective birth cohort (n=31,484), providing information on the age- and sex-specific CMV prevalence and on the birth prevalence of congenital CMV (cCMV). RESULTS The analyses show that vertical transmission and infectious reactivation are the main drivers of transmission. Vaccination strategies aimed at reducing transmission from mother to child (vaccinating pregnant women or women of reproductive age) can yield substantial reductions of cCMV in 20 years (31.7-71.4% if 70% of women are effectively vaccinated). Alternatively, hygiene intervention aimed at preventing CMV infection and re-infection of women of reproductive age from young children is expected to reduce cCMV by less than 2%. The effects of large-scale vaccination on CMV prevalence can be substantial, owing to the moderate transmissibility of CMV at the population level. However, as CMV causes lifelong infection, the timescale on which reductions in CMV prevalence are expected is in the order of several decades. Elimination of CMV infection in the long run is only feasible for a vaccine with a long duration of protection and high vaccination coverage. CONCLUSIONS Vaccination is an effective intervention to reduce the birth prevalence of cCMV. Population-level reductions in CMV prevalence can only be achieved on a long timescale. Our results stress the value of vaccinating pregnant women and women of childbearing age and provide support for the development of CMV vaccines and early planning of vaccination scenarios and rollouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganna Rozhnova
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Center for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Mirjam E Kretzschmar
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Center for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Fiona van der Klis
- Center for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Debbie van Baarle
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Center for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolein Korndewal
- Center for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Ann C Vossen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel van Boven
- Center for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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Lachmann R, Loenenbach A, Waterboer T, Brenner N, Pawlita M, Michel A, Thamm M, Poethko-Müller C, Wichmann O, Wiese-Posselt M. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) seroprevalence in the adult population of Germany. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200267. [PMID: 30044826 PMCID: PMC6059406 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains asymptomatic in most immunocompetent hosts, but is the leading cause of congenital viral infection worldwide and can be life-threatening in immunocompromised individuals. We aimed to assess CMV seroprevalence in a nationally representative sample of adults in Germany and to identify sociodemographic factors associated with CMV seropositivity. METHODS Blood samples from 6552 participants (18-79 years) of the "German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998", a population-based sample of the adult population in Germany, were tested for the presence of CMV antibodies using an Ig-multiplex assay. Weighted seroprevalence was calculated and weighted binomial regression was used to identify factors associated with CMV seropositivity. RESULTS Overall CMV seroprevalence was 56.7% (95%CI: 54.8-58.7%), with a higher seroprevalence in women (62.3%) than in men (51.0%). Seroprevalence increased with age: from 31.8% to 63.7% in men and from 44.1% to 77.6% in women when comparing the 18-29 with the 70-79 year age-group, respectively. CMV seroprevalence in women of childbearing age (18-45 years) was 51.7%. Factors significantly associated with CMV seropositivity were age, country of birth, smoking status, education, living in northern Germany and number of household members. In addition, having attended child care was associated with seropositivity in men, and number of siblings and living in East Germany in women. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that half the women of childbearing age were susceptible for primary CMV infection during pregnancy. CMV screening during pregnancy and informing seronegative women about CMV risk reduction measures could prevent congenital CMV infections with its serious consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raskit Lachmann
- Immunization Unit, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Postgraduate Training for Applied Epidemiology, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
- European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training, ECDC, Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Anna Loenenbach
- Immunization Unit, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Charité – University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Waterboer
- Division Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic infections, Infection, inflammation and Cancer Program, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nicole Brenner
- Division Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic infections, Infection, inflammation and Cancer Program, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Pawlita
- Division Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic infections, Infection, inflammation and Cancer Program, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angelika Michel
- Division Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic infections, Infection, inflammation and Cancer Program, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Thamm
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Reporting, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Ole Wichmann
- Immunization Unit, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
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Sousa P, Madureira G, Moucho M, Rouxinol-Dias AL, Montenegro N. Periconceptional CMV infection prevention in Portugal: population subgroup study in a tertiary perinatal care center. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2017; 31:1956-1961. [PMID: 28514919 DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2017.1332039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Currently in Portugal, universal screening of pregnant women for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is not performed. However, it is recommended to screen all women attending preconception care. We aimed to assess women's attendance to preconception care and if their serologic status regarding CMV was known and/or investigated in that consultation. In this cross-sectional study, we interviewed 240 women admitted to the obstetrical ward of a hospital in the Metropolitan Area of Porto (Portugal) about their adherence to preconception care and collected data regarding their CMV serologic status and its investigation. We found that 71.3% of the women who attended preconception care were not screened for CMV infection. Among primigravida, the screening rate was only of 30.4% (upper limit of CI 95%: 44.8%). There were no statistically significant differences between the private and public sectors of healthcare. We observed attendance to preconception care is high (73.1%). For the population subgroup of the metropolitan area of Porto, attendance to preconception care is at least 66%, with a 95% confidence level. Portuguese guidelines stating a woman's serologic status regarding CMV should be investigated in preconception care are not properly implemented. This suggests guidelines should assure the screening of previously non-screened women during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Sousa
- a Faculty of Medicine , University of Porto , Porto , Portugal
| | - Gabriel Madureira
- b Department of Gynecology , Hospital Privado da Boa Nova , Matosinhos , Portugal
| | - Marina Moucho
- c Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Centro Hospitalar de São João, EPE , Porto , Portugal
| | - Ana Lídia Rouxinol-Dias
- d Center for Research in Health Technologies and Information Systems (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine , University of Porto , Porto , Portugal
| | - Nuno Montenegro
- e Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Centro Hospitalar de São João, EPE, Faculty of Medicine , University of Porto , Porto , Portugal
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