Immunogenicity of a new enhanced tetanus-reduced dose diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine against Bordetella pertussis in a murine model

BACKGROUND: The necessity of the tetanus-reduced dose diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine in adolescence and adults has been emphasized since the resurgence of small-scale pertussis in Korea and worldwide due to the waning effect of the vaccine and variant pathogenic stains in the late 1990s. GreenCross Pharma (GC Pharma), a Korean company, developed the Tdap vaccine GC3111 in 2010. Recently, they enhanced the vaccine, GC3111, produced previously in 2010 to reinforce the antibody response against filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA). In this study, immunogenicity and efficacy of the enhanced Tdap vaccine compared and evaluated with two Tdap vaccines, GC3111 vaccine produced in 2010 previously and commercially available Tdap vaccine in a murine model. METHODS: Two tests groups and positive control group of Balb/c mice were primed with two doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine followed by a single booster Tdap vaccine at 9 week using the commercially available Tdap vaccine or 2 Tdap vaccines from GC Pharma (GC3111, enhanced GC3111). Humoral response was assessed 1 week before and 2 and 4 weeks after Tdap booster vaccination. The enhanced GC3111 generated similar humoral response compare to the commercial vaccine for filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA). The interferon gamma (IFN-γ) (Th1), interleukin 5 (IL-5) (Th2) and interleukin 17 (IL-17) (Th17) cytokines were assessed 4 weeks after booster vaccination by stimulation with three simulators: heat inactivated Bordetella pertussis (hBp), vaccine antigens, and hBp mixed with antigens (hBp + antigen). A bacterial challenge test was performed 4 weeks after booster vaccination. RESULTS: Regarding cell-mediated immunity, cytokine secretion differed among the three simulators. However, no difference was found between two test groups and positive control group. All the vaccinated groups indicated a Th1 or Th1/Th2 response. On Day 5 post-bacterial challenge, B. pertussis colonies were absent in the lungs in two test groups and positive control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed the immunogenicity of GC Pharma’s Tdap vaccine; enhanced GC3111 was equivalent to the presently used commercial vaccine in terms of humoral response as well as cell-mediated cytokine expression. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12865-021-00457-1.