Cellular and antibody responses to equine herpesviruses 1 and 4 following vaccination of horses with modified-live and inactivated viruses

The ability of monovalent and bivalent equine herpesvirus (EHV) vaccines to stimulate cellular and antibody responses to EHV-1 and EHV-4 was compared in healthy horses. Comparison of data from lymphocyte blastogenesis tests in which live viruses were used as antigens and that were conducted prior to vaccination and after 2 vaccinations revealed that horses given modified-live EHV-1 had significant increases in proliferative responses to EHV-1 (P = 0.03) and EHV-4 (P = 0.04). Responses to EHV-1 and EHV-4 in horses given the inactivated-virus bivalent vaccine were less; however, significant differences were not noticed when postvaccinal lymphocyte blastogenesis tests were compared between the groups of vaccinees. Interleukin-2 activity was not detected in leukocyte cultures from either group of vaccines following stimulation with live EHV-1 or EHV-4; however, interferon activity was found in similar cultures from both groups of vaccinees. For EHV-4, interferon activity in cultures from both groups of vaccinees was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than that in leukocyte cultures from unvaccinated controls. Both vaccines induced significant (P < 0.05) increases in serum antibodies that neutralized EHV-1 infectivity. The ELISA for EHV-1 and EHV-4 antibodies revealed that both vaccines induced significant (P < 0.05) increases (compared with preinoculation values) in antibodies reactive with these 2 types of EHV. Total serum antibody responses, as measured by ELISA, to EHV-1 and EHV-4 were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in horses that received the bivalent inactivated-virus vaccine, compared with that in horses that received monovalent vaccine. Evaluation of these data revealed that vaccination with modified-live EHV-1 can stimulate cellular and antibody responses that cross-react with EHV-4.