IFN plasmids increased the antibody response induced by the ISAV hemagglutinin-esterase (HE) plasmid through week 22.
The anti-ISAV antibody kinetics was different using IFNa- and IFNc plasmids as adjuvants.
Fish injected with IFNc-plasmid alone showed systemic expression of Mx and ISG15 during 22 weeks.
Vaccination with IFNc- and HE-plasmids together abolished systemic expression of Mx and ISG15 after 16–22 weeks.
This suggests that the adaptive immune response against HE causes elimination of cells expressing HE.