Serologic Response in Man to Adenovirus and SV 40 Components In Adenovirus Vaccines. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Volunteers were vaccinated with an inactivated trivalent adenovirus vaccine prepared with adenovirus strains containing SV₄₀ genetic and oncogenic information, enclosed within adenovirus capsids, but no SV₄₀ infectious virus. The volunteers showed marked increases in complement fixing and virus neutralizing antibodies directed against the adenovirus components in the vaccine, but did not respond serologically to the SV₄₀ information. Suckling hamsters injected with the trivalent vaccine or with its monovalent components did not develop tumors over a prolonged observation period. Thus, the SV₄₀ genome contained in the inactivated adenovirus vaccine was inactive antigenically in man and oncogenically in hamsters. The significance of the findings in relation to use in man of killed adenovirus vaccines prepared with adenovirus containing encapsidated SV₄₀ information is discussed.