Seroepidemiological survey to cell culture rabies vaccines (CCRV) in Brazil.

Rabies is a contagious viral disease that can be easily transmitted by the saliva and brain/nervous system tissues of the infected animals, causing severe and fatal encephalitis in both animals and humans. Vaccination campaigns are crucial to combat and prevent rabies's spread in dogs and humans. The Modified Fuenzalida & Palicios vaccines have been widely used since the 70s and have proven effective in producing a solid serological response. Since 2008, the Brazilian Ministry of Health has introduced a Cell Culture Rabies Vaccine (CCRV) for all dog mass vaccination campaigns in Brazil. However, to date, there is limited evidence on the immunologic response of dogs to this type of vaccine in field conditions. The present study evaluated the serological response in dogs vaccinated with CCRV from blood samples of 724 dogs using the Simplified Fluorescence Inhibition Microtest - SFIMT. Dogs with a titer equal to 0.5 IU/mL or above were considered seropositive. The results revealed that 59.12% (428/724) of all dogs tested and 48.49% (32/66) of primo-vaccinated animals were seropositive. The percentage of seronegative animals was higher than seropositive for animals that received a single dose during their life (p < 0.05). The opposite was observed in animals with five or more doses. The results of this study demonstrated that the CCRV vaccines elicit a satisfactory immunological response in field conditions and can constitute an essential population-level preventive strategy as part of annual canine rabies vaccination campaigns. Although its effectiveness has been studied, there is limited evidence of its immunological response in dogs under field conditions. This paper evaluates the serological response to CCRV in dogs vaccinated during mass vaccination campaigns from 2012 to 2017.

Rabies virus isolated from insectivorous bats induces different inflammatory responses in experimental model.

Rabies virus (RABV) is a neurotropic virus that causes fatal neuroinflammation in mammals. The insectivorous bat RABV strains are less pathogenic for mice than strains associated with other reservoirs. We characterized the tissue inflammatory response in the CNS of RABV isolated from insectivorous bats. Eptesicus furinalis (EPBRV)-infected mice had a robust inflammatory response and a greater amount of IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α, while Myotis nigricans (MNBRV)-infected mice showed a higher expression of IL-17 and greater activation of IFN-ß. New approaches to understand the inflammatory response to different mechanisms of action may provide insights for the development of novel therapies for rabies.

A comparative review of serological assays for the detection of rabies virus-specific antibodies.

Rabies is a major public health problem with a fatality rate close to 100%, caused by a virus of the Lyssavirus genus, of which rabies virus (RABV) is the prototype. Nonetheless, the complete prevention can be achieved by the induction of neutralizing antibodies by pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis. According to the world health organization (WHO) and World Organization for animal health (OIE), serum titers of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) that are higher or equal to 0.5 international units (IU)/ml indicate adequate immune response after vaccination against rabies. Currently, RFFIT and FAVN are the gold standard tests recommended by both WHO and OIE for detecting and quantitating RVNA in biological samples from individuals or animals previously vaccinated and/or subjects suspected of having been infected by RABV. Although the tests RFFIT and FAVN are efficient, they are time-consuming, labor-intensive manual tests and not cost-effective for routine use. Following the previously mentioned, approaches with alternative methods have been developed to detect RVNA or rabies-specific antibodies in human or animal serum, but with variable success. This work summarizes the advances in the serological assays for the detection of neutralizing antibodies or rabies antibodies and assesses the individual immune status after vaccination against rabies, as well as the mechanisms of RABV neutralization mediated by antibodies. Therefore, the main alternative methods for the determination of RABV or rabies-specific antibodies are exposed, with promising results, besides being easy to execute, of low cost, and representing a possibility of being applied, according to the proposal of each test to the network of Rabies Surveillance Laboratories.

Serological Surveillance of Rabies in Free-Range and Captive Common Vampire Bats Desmodus rotundus.

The control of vampire bat rabies (VBR) in Brazil is based on the culling of Desmodus rotundus and the surveillance of outbreaks caused by D. rotundus in cattle and humans in addition to vaccination of susceptible livestock. The detection of anti-rabies antibodies in vampire bats indicates exposure to the rabies virus, and several studies have reported an increase of these antibodies following experimental infection. However, the dynamics of anti-rabies antibodies in natural populations of D. rotundus remains poorly understood. In this study, we took advantage of recent outbreaks of VBR among livestock in the Sao Paulo region of Brazil to test whether seroprevalence in D. rotundus reflects the incidence of rabies in nearby livestock populations. Sixty-four D. rotundus were captured during and after outbreaks from roost located in municipalities belonging to three regions with different incidences of rabies in herbivores. Sixteen seropositive bats were then kept in captivity for up to 120 days, and their antibodies and virus levels were quantified at different time points using the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). Antibody titers were associated with the occurrence of ongoing outbreak, with a higher proportion of bats showing titer >0.5 IU/ml in the region with a recent outbreak. However, low titers were still detected in bats from regions reporting the last outbreak of rabies at least 3 years prior to sampling. This study suggests that serological surveillance of rabies in vampire bats can be used as a tool to evaluate risk of outbreaks in at risk populations of cattle and human.

Glycosylation is required for the neutralizing activity of human IgG1 antibodies against human rabies induced by pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Rabies lyssavirus (RABV) neutralizing IgG antibodies confer protection after rabies vaccination, although how the RABV-specific antibodies neutralize the virus is still unknown. As changes in the antibody's carbohydrate chain can interfere with its effector functions, we compared the glycosylation patterns of both neutralizing and non-neutralizing IgG1 induced by pre-exposure prophylaxis to human rabies and analyzed their influence on in vitro antibody neutralizing activities. Specific IgG1 were purified from human serum using affinity chromatography. Purity and avidity were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and indirect ELISA using NH4SCN respectively. The N-linked oligosaccharide chain of the purified IgG antibody was evaluated using a lectin-based ELISA assay with a panel of seven lectins. The activity of purified IgG1 and neutralizing IgG1 deglycosylated by PNGase F enzyme were analyzed using the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test. The purified IgG1 showed an electrophoretic pattern compatible with human IgG. All of the antibodies recognized RABV, although neutralizing IgG1 had a higher avidity (RAI = 80%) than non-neutralizing IgG1 (RAI = 30%). The neutralizing IgG1 also showed higher binding to WFA, ECA, WGA, and ConA lectins, indicating possible different N-acetylgalactosamine, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine, and mannose contents. Non-neutralizing IgG1, on the other hand, showed strong binding at UEA-1 and SNA, which bind to fucose and sialic acid residues respectively. Different glycosylation profiles were also observed in Fab and Fc fragments from neutralizing and non-neutralizing IgG1, although the deglycosylated IgG1 lost its neutralizing activity. Our results suggest that antibody glycosylation is important for neutralizing RABV in vitro, since neutralizing IgG1 has a different glycosylation profile than non-neutralizing IgG1. Further research will be needed to better evaluate the differential glycosylation patterns between IgG1 antibodies following vaccination.

Development of biotinylated polyclonal anti-ribonucleoprotein IgG for detection of rabies virus antigen by direct rapid immunohistochemical test.

The direct rapid immunohistochemical test (dRIT) has been recommended for laboratorial diagnosis of rabies, especially in developing countries. The absence of commercial primary antibodies, however, still represents a major limitation to its wider use in testing. We describe here the development of a biotinylated polyclonal antibody against Rabies lyssavirus (RABV) ribonucleoprotein (RNP) and its use as a primary reagent in dRIT. Anti-RNP polyclonal horse IgG was purified by ionic exchange chromatography followed by immunoaffinity column chromatography, and its affinity, diagnostic sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated. CNS samples (120) of suspected rabies cases in different animal species were tested by dRIT, with the positive (n = 14) and negative (n = 106) results confirmed by direct fluorescence antibody testing (dFAT). Comparing the results of dRIT and dFAT, we found that the biotinylated anti-RNP IgG delivered 100% diagnostic specificity and sensibility for rabies diagnosis. Our findings show that the biotinylated anti-RNP polyclonal IgG can be produced with the quality required for application in dRIT. This work represents an important step in efforts to diagnose rabies in developing countries.

Performance evaluation of the polyclonal anti-rabies virus ribonucleoprotein IgG antibodies produced in-house for use in direct fluorescent antibody test.

Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labelled anti-rabies virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) antibodies can be used as immunoreagents in direct fluorescent antibody testing (dFAT) for rabies diagnoses. While in-house products are occasionally used by laboratories, most conjugates are commercial reagents. Commercial anti-RNP antibodies are only available for research purposes in Brazil, however, which contributes to the increasing use of in-house produced antibodies. Considering that conjugate quality may influence the results obtained during rabies diagnosis, we sought to analyze the performance requirements of in-house produced polyclonal anti-RNP IgG-FITC for application in dFAT. To that end, their reproducibility, diagnostic sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated. The titer of polyclonal anti-RNP IgG-FITC was initially determined and evaluated by dFAT, using central nervous system (CNS) samples of different animal species (dogs, cats, bovines, equines, bats, and non-human primates). As our main result, the polyclonal anti-RNP IgG-FITC reached a titer of 1:30/1:40 in dFAT, with 100% of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. In terms of reproducibility, the antibodies, regardless the production batch, presented the same performances. In conclusion, the in-house produced polyclonal anti-RNP IgG-FITC proved suitable for rabies virus antigen detection by dFAT.

Evaluation of polyclonal anti-RNP IgG antibody for rabies diagnosis by indirect rapid immunohistochemistry test.

Rabies still represents a major public health threat and estimated to cause 60,000 human deaths annually, particularly in developing countries. Thus, adequate surveillance based on rapid and reliable rabies diagnosis for both humans and animals is essential. The WHO and OIE recommended gold standard diagnostic technique for rabies is the direct immunofluorescence assay (dFAT). However, dFAT is expensive and requires a high level of expertise. As an alternative, the rapid immunohistochemistry technique is a promise to be a simple and cost effective diagnostic tool for rabies, and can be performed on field conditions prevalent in developing countries. However, no validated commercial conjugate antibody for rabies is available to meet the laboratory demand. Here, we evaluated the polyclonal anti-rabies virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) IgG antibody for Rabies lyssavirus (RABV) detection by indirect rapid immunohistochemistry test (iRIT). We tested polyclonal anti-RNP IgG antibody against a batch of 100 brain specimens representing a wide phylogenetic origin in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The purified IgG obtained 100% of diagnostic specificity and sensibility for RABV antigen detection in iRIT compared with the gold standard dFAT. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the polyclonal anti-RNP IgG antibody may be used as a diagnostic reagent for rabies using iRIT, with the expectation of increase in availability and cost reduction of the epidemiological surveillance for developing countries.

Nyctinomops laticaudatus bat-associated Rabies virus causes disease with a shorter clinical period and has lower pathogenic potential than strains isolated from wild canids.

Rabies is a lethal viral disease that can affect a wide range of mammals. Currently, Rabies virus (RABV) in some European and American countries is maintained primarily in wild species. The regulation of viral replication is one of the critical mechanisms involved in RABV pathogenesis. However, the relationship between replication and the pathogenesis of RABV isolated from wild animals remains poorly understood. In the present study, we evaluated the pathogenicity of the street viruses Nyctinomops laticaudatus bat-associated RABV (NYBRV) and Cerdocyon thous canid-associated RABV (CECRV). Infection of mice with NYBRV led to 33% mortality with rapid disease evolution and marked histopathological changes in the CNS. In contrast, infection with CECRV led to 67% mortality and caused mild neuropathological lesions. The proportion of RABV antigen was significantly higher in the cytoplasm of neuronal cells of the cerebral cortex and in the meninges of mice infected with CECRV and NYBRV, respectively. Moreover, the replication rate of NYBRV was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of CECRV in neuroblastoma cells. However, CECRV replicated to a significantly higher titer in epithelial cells. Our results indicate that NYBRV infection results in rapid disease progression accompanied by frequent and intense histopathological alterations in the CNS in mice, and in a high replication rate in neuroblastoma cells. Although, CECRV is more pathogenic in mice, it caused milder histopathological changes in the CNS and replicated more efficiently in epithelial cells. Our data point to a correlation between clinical aspects of disease and the replication of RABV in different cell lines.

Early Peritoneal CC Chemokine Production Correlates with Divergent Inflammatory Phenotypes and Susceptibility to Experimental Arthritis in Mice.

The inflammatory and autoimmune events preceding clinical symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune diseases are difficult to study in human patients. Therefore, animal models that share immunologic and clinical features with human RA, such as pristane-induced arthritis (PIA), are valuable tools for assessing the primordial events related to arthritis susceptibility. PIA-resistant HIII and susceptible LIII mice were injected i.p. with pristane, and peritoneal lavage fluid was harvested in the early (7 days) and late (35 days) preclinical phases of PIA. Chemokine and cytokine levels were measured in lavage supernatant with ELISA, peritoneal inflammatory leukocytes were immunophenotyped by flow cytometry, and gene expression was determined by qRT-PCR. Leukocyte recruitment was quantitatively and qualitatively divergent in the peritoneum of HIII and LIII mice, with an early increase of CC chemokines (CCL2/CCL3/CCL5/CCL12/CCL22) in the susceptible LIII strain. Also, cytokines such as IL-12p40, IL-23, and IL-18 were elevated in LIII mice while IL-6 was increased in HIII animals. The results show that an early peritoneal CC chemokine response is an important feature of arthritis susceptibility and defines potential biomarkers in this model.

Purification of IgG against ribonucleoprotein by a homemade immunoaffinity chromatography column for rabies diagnosis.

Polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies against rabies virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) have been employed for Rabies virus (RABV) antigen detection by the direct fluorescent antibody test (DFA). To date, these biomolecules have been purified by traditional methods such as precipitation by ammonium sulfate or ion exchange chromatography followed by ammonium sulfate precipitation, which allows only for partial detection of the protein of interest. In this study, we aimed to purify anti-RNP polyclonal horse IgG antibodies by cation-exchange chromatography in combination with a homemade immunoaffinity chromatography on RNP immobilized (RNP-IAC). Furthermore, to evaluate the accuracy of the prepared anti-RNP IgG fluorescent antibody in diagnostic purposes, DFA was applied for RABV antigen detection in suspected brain samples of different animal species. The combination of these two techniques made it possible to obtain antibodies with high selectivity and purity. Compared with the performance of the traditional method, anti-RNP IgG antibodies purified by RNP-IAC can be obtained from a smaller volume of hyperimmune serum and with greater avidity. Furthermore, the results obtained by DFA analyses revealed that the prepared anti-RNP IgG fluorescent antibody achieved 100% diagnostic specificity and sensitivity for RABV antigen detection. Thus, two-technique chromatographic, including RNP-IAC technology could be appropriate methods for the purification of polyclonal anti-RNP IgG for the use as a diagnostic reagent for rabies.

Infection of neuroblastoma cells by rabies virus is modulated by the virus titer.

Rabies is a lethal viral infection that can affect almost all mammals, including humans. To better understand the replication of Rabies lyssavirus, we investigated if the viral load in brains naturally infected with rabies influences viral internalization and viral growth kinetics in neuroblastoma cells, and if the viral load affects mortality in mice after intradermal infection. We noted that high initial viral loads in brains (group II) were unfavourable for increasing viral titers during serial passages in neuroblastoma cells when compared to low initial viral loads in brains (group I). In addition, group I strains showed higher viral growth and enhanced internalization efficiency in neuroblastoma cells than group II strains. However, we observed that the dominant virus subpopulation in group II promoted efficient viral infection in the central nervous system in the new host, providing a selective advantage to the virus. Our data indicate that rabies infection in animal models depends on not only the virus strain but also the amount of virus. This study may serve as a basis for understanding the biologic proprieties of Rabies lyssavirus strains with respect to the effects on viral replication and the impact on pathogenesis, improving virus yields for use in vaccine development.

Immunological aspects of rabies: a literature review.

Rabies is a lethal disease caused by the neurotropic virus rabies virus (RABV), and it remains an important public health problem globally. It is known that the host immune response is important for control of viral infection and promoting viral clearance. In this context, it is well documented that, in addition to RABV neutralizing antibody, interferons and cell-mediated immunity also have an important role in preventing the establishment of disease. On the other hand, RABV suppresses host immunity through different mechanisms, for example, direct inhibition of host gene expression, sequestration of pathogen-associated molecular patterns, or modification of cytokine signalling pathways, which hinder the protective host immune responses to RABV infection. Here, we review the immunological aspects of rabies, highlighting innate and adaptive immunity, as well as the host evasion immune mechanisms used by the virus. Finally, we briefly discuss how this knowledge can direct new research and be harnessed for future therapeutic strategies.

Delayed progression of rabies transmitted by a vampire bat.

Here, we compared the growth kinetics, cell-to-cell spread, and virus internalization kinetics in N2a cells of RABV variants isolated from vampire bats (V-3), domestic dogs (V-2) and marmosets (V-M) as well as the clinical symptoms and mortality caused by these variants. The replication rate of V-3 was significantly higher than those of V-2 and V-M. However, the uptake and spread of these RABV variants into N2a cells were inversely proportional. Nevertheless, V-3 had longer incubation and evolution periods. Our results provide evidence that the clinical manifestations of infection with bat RABV variant occur at a later time when compared to what was observed with canine and marmoset rabies virus variants.

7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced genotoxicity on bone marrow cells from mice phenotypically selected for low acute inflammatory response.

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) environmental contaminants has been associated with the development of mutations and cancer. 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene ( DMBA), a genotoxic agent, reacts with DNA directly, inducing p53-dependent cytotoxicity resulting in cell death by apoptosis or giving rise to cancer. DMBA metabolism largely depends on activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Mice phenotypically selected for high (AIRmax) or low (AIRmin) acute inflammatory response present a complete segregation of Ahr alleles endowed with low (Ahr(d)) or high (Ahr(b1)) affinity to PAHs, respectively. To evaluate the role of AhR genetic polymorphism on the bone marrow susceptibility to DMBA, AIRmax and AIRmin mice were treated with a single intraperitoneal injection of DMBA (50mg/kg b.w.) in olive oil. Bone marrow cells (BMCs) were phenotyped by both flow cytometry and cytoslide preparations. Despite a significant decrease in total cell count in BM from AIRmin mice, there was an increase of blast cells and immature neutrophils at 1 and 50 days after DMBA treatment, probably due to a cell-cycle blockade at the G1/S transition leading to immature stage cell production. A panel of proteins related to cell cycle regulation was evaluated in immature BM cells (Lin(-)) by Western Blot, and DNA damage and repair were measured using an alkaline version of the Comet assay. In Lin(-) cells isolated from AIRmin mice, high levels were found in both p53 and p21 protein contents in contrast with the low levels of CDK4 and Ciclin D1. Evaluation of DNA repair in DMBA-treated BMCs, indicated long-lasting genotoxicity and cytotoxicity in BMC from AIRmin mice and a blockade of cell cycle progression. On the other hand, AIRmax mice have a high capacity of DNA damage repair and protection. These mechanisms can be associated with the differential susceptibility to the toxic and carcinogenic effects of DMBA observed in these mice.

7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced myelotoxicity differs in mice selected for high or low acute inflammatory response: relationship with aryl hydrocarbon receptor polymorphism.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), are environmental pollutants that exert multiple toxic and carcinogenic effects. Studies showed that these effects are mediated by activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and modulated by allelic variants of Ahr gene. Here, we investigated the effects of DMBA treatment in the inflammatory response and bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic function of maximal acute inflammatory response (AIRmax) and minimal acute inflammatory response (AIRmin) heterogeneous mouse lines selected for high and low acute inflammatory responsiveness, respectively. The phenotypic selection resulted in the segregation of the Ahr(d) and Ahr(b1) alleles that confer low and high receptor ligand-binding affinity, respectively, in AIRmax and AIRmin mice. We observed a reduction in BM mature granulocyte population in AIRmin mice 24 hours after DMBA treatment while both blast and immature myeloid cells were increased. Proliferation and differentiation of BM myeloid cells in response to in vitro granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor stimulus were impaired in AIRmin-treated mice. These DMBA effects on myeloid BM cells (BMCs) affected the in vivo leukocyte migration to an inflammatory site induced by polyacrylamide beads (Biogel P-100, Bio-Rad, France) injection in AIRmin mice. On the other hand, these alterations were not observed in DMBA-treated AIRmax mice. These data indicate that DMBA affects myeloid cell differentiation and inflammatory response and Ahr(b1) allele in the genetic background of AIRmin mice contributes to this effect.

The importance of bystander effects in radiation therapy in melanoma skin-cancer cells and umbilical-cord stromal stem cells.

PURPOSE: To examine direct and bystander radiation-induced effects in normal umbilical-cord stromal stem cell (HCSSC) lines and in human cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The UCSSC lines used in this study were obtained in our laboratory. Two cell lines (UCSSC 35 and UCSSC 37) and two human melanoma skin-cancer cells (A375 and G361) were exposed to ionizing radiation to measure acute radiation-dosage cell-survival curves and radiation-induced bystander cell-death response. Normal cells, although extremely sensitive to ionizing radiation, were resistant to the bystander effect whilst tumor cells were sensitive to irradiated cell-conditioned media, showing a dose-response relationship that became saturated at relatively low doses. We applied a biophysical model to describe bystander cell-death through the binding of a ligand to the cells. This model allowed us to calculate the maximum cell death (χ(max)) produced by the bystander effect together with its association constant (K(By)) in terms of dose equivalence (Gy). The values obtained for K(By) in A375 and G361 cells were 0.23 and 0.29 Gy, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings help to understand how anticancer therapy could have an additional decisive effect in that the response of sub-lethally hit tumor cells to damage might be required for therapy to be successful because the survival of cells communicating with irradiated cells is reduced.