Effects of Various Adjuvants and a Viral Infection on the Antibody Specificity Toward Native or Cryptic Epitopes of a Protein Antigen

An immunization protocol that induces antibodies (Abs) directed to cryptic epitopes of a protein antigen (Ag) reduces the efficacy of vaccines that ideally should induce Abs against native epitopes. We have shown earlier that viral infections concomitant with immunization against a protein tend to shift the Ab specificity toward cryptic epitopes and tend to induce the production of autoantibodies (autoAbs). Here, we show the effects of three adjuvants on the Ab specificity in the absence or presence of a viral infection (lactate dehydrogenase‐elevating virus or LDV), with human growth hormone (hGH) being, as before, the protein Ag.