OBJECTIVETo measure the neutralization activity in vitro of the antibodies induced by recombinant TGFbeta1 vaccine and to evaluate the vaccine's anti-liver fibrosis activity.

METHODSBalb/c mice were immunized with a fusion protein of the human TGFbeta1 epitope-inserted into a hepatitis B core antigen using a prokaryotic expression system. The antibody produced by the recombinant vaccine was determined using ELISA. The biological activity of the anti-TGFbeta1 antibody induced by the vaccine was measured by MTT using mink lung epithelial cell Mv-1-Lu as inhibiting cells. The fusion protein was used as a vaccine in a mice hepatic-fibrosis model.

RESULTSA high titer of anti-TGFbeta1 antibody and a low of anti-HBc antibody were detected in the mice after the immunization. The serum antibodies induced combined with the fusion and antigenic peptide prevented the TGFbeta1 inhibiting activity in the Mv-1-Lu cell.

CONCLUSIONRecombinant fusion protein can be used as a cytokine vaccine to induce high titers of anti-TGFbeta1 antibodies. Our results show the potentiality of the fusion protein to be used as a vaccine for preventing liver fibrosis.