Comparison of antibody titers after immunization with monovalent or tetravalent KLH conjugate vaccines

Abstract

Antigens such as ganglioside GD3, neutral glycolipid Lewis y (Le y) and mucins MUC1 and MUC2 are over-expressed on the cell surface of many tumors. We have shown previously that conjugation of antigens such as these to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and the use of immunological adjuvant QS-21 is the optimal approach for inducing high titer IgM and IgG antibodies. These antibodies are able to bind with natural antigens on the tumor cell surface and mediate complement dependent cytotoxicity and/or antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity. Immunization of patients with monovalent vaccines containing these and a variety of other antigens have demonstrated both the consistent immunogenicity and the safety of these vaccines. Now, in preparation for the use of polyvalent conjugate vaccines in the clinic, we have addressed for the first time with conjugate vaccines against cancer antigens several questions in the pre-clinical setting, including whether immunogenicity of the individual components is decreased in the polyvalent vaccine and issues relating to vaccine formulation and administration. We have immunized groups of mice with GD3–KLH, Le y–KLH, MUC1–KLH and MUC2–KLH conjugates and QS-21 separately or mixed and administered at one or four sites. High titer IgM and IgG antibodies were induced against each of the four antigens whether administered singly in separate mice, at separate sites in the same mice, or mixed and administered at a single site or at four sites, or administered subcutaneously (s.c.) or intraperitoneally (i.p.). These antibodies reacted specifically with the respective antigens and tumor cells expressing these antigens. There was no evidence of suppression of the antibody response against any one of the antigens by the presence of the other conjugates in the vaccine. Immunogenicity of the four individual antigens conjugated to KLH and QS-21 is not affected by mixing the four together and administering them at a single subcutaneous site.