Induction of Influenza A Virus Cross-reactive Cytotoxic T Cells by a Nucleoprotein/Haemagglutinin Preparation

Abstract

Summary An ammonium deoxycholate fraction from bromelain-treated influenza A virus was highly enriched for virus nucleoprotein and contained residual haemagglutinin (NP/HA). The preparation did not contain detectable levels of matrix or neuraminidase proteins and was free of infectious virus. NP/HA effectively primed mice for cytotoxic T cells which lysed syngeneic cells infected with any type A influenza virus. Furthermore, NP/HA generated A-type virus cross-reactive cytotoxic T cells when added in vitro to spleen cells from mice previously primed with infectious influenza A virus. These properties imply that NP/HA has potential as a vaccine for heterotypic influenza A immunity.