Vaccination in murine schistosomiasis with adult worm-derived antigens: Variables influencing protection in outbred mice

• Published in: International journal for parasitology Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 299 - 306
• Main Authors: Tendler, Miriam, Pinto, Roberto Magalhães, de Oliveira Lima, Antonio, Savino, Wilson, Katz, Naftale
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.1991; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; Antigens, Helminth - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Diseases caused by trematodes; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; Freund's Adjuvant; Helminthic diseases; Immunization, Secondary; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; outbred mice; Parasitic diseases; protective antigens; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosoma mansoni - immunology; Schistosomiases; Schistosomiasis mansoni - prevention & control; Vaccination; Schistosoma mansoni; protective antigens; outbred mice; vaccination; Immunoprotection; Vaccination; Rodentia; Plathelmintha; Trematod disease; Helminthiasis; Trematoda; Infection; Antigen; Schistosomiasis; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Helmintha; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0020-7519; 1879-0135
• DOI: 10.1016/0020-7519(91)90031-2

Previous studies have shown that both permissive (mouse) and partially permissive (rabbit) hosts develop high levels of resistance against Schistosoma mansoni infection after vaccination with a multiple antigen extract (SE) obtained by incubation of living adult worms in saline, plus bacterial adjuvant. To investigate variables influencing SE-induced protection in murine schistosomiasis, a series of distinct vaccination protocols were performed focussing on the immunization dose, carrier systems, route, site and amplitude of challenge infection, and time between immunization and challenge. In addition, a new approach was adopted to evaluate SE protective activity, by means of population analysis of worm burden frequency distributions in a large scale study of vaccination in outbred Swiss mice. Distinct curves of frequency and a drastic difference in worm burden distribution of frequencies from SE-vaccinated × non-vaccinated mice were found. It was shown that SE could generate 75% mean protection in outbred mice even in the absence of adjuvant. In addition SE immunization was also able to induce full protection against lethal infection. SE-induced protection could be modulated by such parameters as dose of SE immunization/challenge interval, and route of cercariae injection. These data show that SE yields very high protective activity in outbred mice, and may provide a further insight for rational design of a vaccine in experimental schistosomiasis.