A modified anthrax toxin-based enzyme-linked immunospot assay reveals robust T cell responses in symptomatic and asymptomatic Ebola virus exposed individuals.

<h4>Background</h4>Ebola virus (EBOV) caused more than 11,000 deaths during the 2013-2016 epidemic in West Africa without approved vaccines or immunotherapeutics. Despite its high lethality in some individuals, EBOV infection can produce little to no symptoms in others. A better understa...

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Main Authors: Bobby Brooke Herrera, Donald J Hamel, Philip Oshun, Rolake Akinsola, Alani S Akanmu, Charlotte A Chang, Philomena Eromon, Onikepe Folarin, Kayode T Adeyemi, Christian T Happi, Yichen Lu, Folasade Ogunsola, Phyllis J Kanki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2018-05-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0006530&type=printable
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author Bobby Brooke Herrera
Donald J Hamel
Philip Oshun
Rolake Akinsola
Alani S Akanmu
Charlotte A Chang
Philomena Eromon
Onikepe Folarin
Kayode T Adeyemi
Christian T Happi
Yichen Lu
Folasade Ogunsola
Phyllis J Kanki
author_facet Bobby Brooke Herrera
Donald J Hamel
Philip Oshun
Rolake Akinsola
Alani S Akanmu
Charlotte A Chang
Philomena Eromon
Onikepe Folarin
Kayode T Adeyemi
Christian T Happi
Yichen Lu
Folasade Ogunsola
Phyllis J Kanki
author_sort Bobby Brooke Herrera
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Ebola virus (EBOV) caused more than 11,000 deaths during the 2013-2016 epidemic in West Africa without approved vaccines or immunotherapeutics. Despite its high lethality in some individuals, EBOV infection can produce little to no symptoms in others. A better understanding of the immune responses in individuals who experienced minimally symptomatic and asymptomatic infection could aid the development of more effective vaccines and antivirals against EBOV and related filoviruses.<h4>Methodology/principle findings</h4>Between August and November 2017, blood samples were collected from 19 study participants in Lagos, Nigeria, including 3 Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors, 10 individuals with documented close contact with symptomatic EVD patients, and 6 control healthcare workers for a cross-sectional serosurvey and T cell analysis. The Lagos samples, as well as archived serum collected from healthy individuals living in surrounding areas of the 1976 Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) epidemic, were tested for EBOV IgG using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and Western blots. We detected antibodies in 3 out of 3 Lagos survivors and identified 2 seropositive individuals not known to have ever been infected. Of the DRC samples tested, we detected antibodies in 9 out of 71 (12.7%). To characterize the T cell responses in the Lagos samples, we developed an anthrax toxin-based enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. The seropositive asymptomatic individuals had T cell responses against EBOV nucleoprotein, matrix protein, and glycoprotein 1 that were stronger in magnitude compared to the survivors.<h4>Conclusion/significance</h4>Our data provide further evidence of EBOV exposure in individuals without EVD-like illness and, for the first time, demonstrate that these individuals have T cell responses that are stronger in magnitude compared to severe cases. These findings suggest that T cell immunity may protect against severe EVD, which has important implications for vaccine development.
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spelling doaj-art-f357f06e159d42ea997d7eef49ed79bb2025-08-20T03:04:58ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352018-05-01125e000653010.1371/journal.pntd.0006530A modified anthrax toxin-based enzyme-linked immunospot assay reveals robust T cell responses in symptomatic and asymptomatic Ebola virus exposed individuals.Bobby Brooke HerreraDonald J HamelPhilip OshunRolake AkinsolaAlani S AkanmuCharlotte A ChangPhilomena EromonOnikepe FolarinKayode T AdeyemiChristian T HappiYichen LuFolasade OgunsolaPhyllis J Kanki<h4>Background</h4>Ebola virus (EBOV) caused more than 11,000 deaths during the 2013-2016 epidemic in West Africa without approved vaccines or immunotherapeutics. Despite its high lethality in some individuals, EBOV infection can produce little to no symptoms in others. A better understanding of the immune responses in individuals who experienced minimally symptomatic and asymptomatic infection could aid the development of more effective vaccines and antivirals against EBOV and related filoviruses.<h4>Methodology/principle findings</h4>Between August and November 2017, blood samples were collected from 19 study participants in Lagos, Nigeria, including 3 Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors, 10 individuals with documented close contact with symptomatic EVD patients, and 6 control healthcare workers for a cross-sectional serosurvey and T cell analysis. The Lagos samples, as well as archived serum collected from healthy individuals living in surrounding areas of the 1976 Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) epidemic, were tested for EBOV IgG using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and Western blots. We detected antibodies in 3 out of 3 Lagos survivors and identified 2 seropositive individuals not known to have ever been infected. Of the DRC samples tested, we detected antibodies in 9 out of 71 (12.7%). To characterize the T cell responses in the Lagos samples, we developed an anthrax toxin-based enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. The seropositive asymptomatic individuals had T cell responses against EBOV nucleoprotein, matrix protein, and glycoprotein 1 that were stronger in magnitude compared to the survivors.<h4>Conclusion/significance</h4>Our data provide further evidence of EBOV exposure in individuals without EVD-like illness and, for the first time, demonstrate that these individuals have T cell responses that are stronger in magnitude compared to severe cases. These findings suggest that T cell immunity may protect against severe EVD, which has important implications for vaccine development.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0006530&type=printable
spellingShingle Bobby Brooke Herrera
Donald J Hamel
Philip Oshun
Rolake Akinsola
Alani S Akanmu
Charlotte A Chang
Philomena Eromon
Onikepe Folarin
Kayode T Adeyemi
Christian T Happi
Yichen Lu
Folasade Ogunsola
Phyllis J Kanki
A modified anthrax toxin-based enzyme-linked immunospot assay reveals robust T cell responses in symptomatic and asymptomatic Ebola virus exposed individuals.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title A modified anthrax toxin-based enzyme-linked immunospot assay reveals robust T cell responses in symptomatic and asymptomatic Ebola virus exposed individuals.
title_full A modified anthrax toxin-based enzyme-linked immunospot assay reveals robust T cell responses in symptomatic and asymptomatic Ebola virus exposed individuals.
title_fullStr A modified anthrax toxin-based enzyme-linked immunospot assay reveals robust T cell responses in symptomatic and asymptomatic Ebola virus exposed individuals.
title_full_unstemmed A modified anthrax toxin-based enzyme-linked immunospot assay reveals robust T cell responses in symptomatic and asymptomatic Ebola virus exposed individuals.
title_short A modified anthrax toxin-based enzyme-linked immunospot assay reveals robust T cell responses in symptomatic and asymptomatic Ebola virus exposed individuals.
title_sort modified anthrax toxin based enzyme linked immunospot assay reveals robust t cell responses in symptomatic and asymptomatic ebola virus exposed individuals
url https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0006530&type=printable
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