Neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1 BRU and SF2 isolates generated in mice immunized with recombinant vaccinia virus expressing HIV-1 (BRU) envelope glycoproteins and boosted with homologous gp160.

Anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (Anti-HIV-1) antibody response was compared in four groups of mice following inoculation with HIV-1 gp160, with live recombinant vaccinia virus expressing HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins, or with both immunogens in alternate orders for primary or secondary immunizations. Both subunit and recombinant virus immunogens induced similar levels of antibody response following primary immunization. However, after secondary immunization, mice primed with live recombinant virus and then boosted with subunit gp160 immunogen showed significantly higher antibody response than those in the other three groups. Neutralizing antibodies were generated only in this group of mice and were shown to neutralize both the homologous virus (BRU) and a divergent isolate (SF2) of HIV-1. On the other hand, their reactivities to peptide sequences from the principal neutralizing determinant (PND) of gp120 were limited to the BRU isolate, not SF2 or MN, indicating that the cross-neutralizing activities were directed against determinants other than the linear epitope(s) within the PND. These results also indicate that combined immunization by priming with live recombinant virus and boosting with subunit immunogen may be more effective than immunization by either immunogen alone.