Correlation of specific antibody titre and avidity with protection in cattle immunized against Fasciola hepatica

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 16; no. 9; pp. 932 - 939
• Main Authors: Mulcahy, Grace, O'Connor, Fiona, McGonigle, Sharon, Dowd, Andrew, Clery, Dianne G, Andrews, Stuart J, Dalton, John P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.05.1998; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Helminth - blood; Antibody Affinity; Antibody Specificity; Antigens, Helminth - administration & dosage; Biological and medical sciences; Cathepsins - immunology; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - immunology; Cattle Diseases - prevention & control; Fasciola hepatica; Fasciola hepatica - immunology; Fascioliasis - immunology; Fascioliasis - prevention & control; Fascioliasis - veterinary; Freund's Adjuvant - administration & dosage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemoglobins - immunology; Immunization - veterinary; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Invertebrates; Male; Nemathelminthia. Plathelmintha; Time Factors; vaccination; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Fasciola hepatica; cattle; vaccination; Vaccination; Trematode disease; IgG; Quantization; Trematoda; Ungulata; Humoral immunity; Immunoprotection; Immunoglobulins; Immune response; Bovine; Antibody; Distomatosis; Plathelmintha; Isotype; Parasitosis; Helminthiasis; Infection; Fasciolasis; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Helmintha; Artiodactyla; Invertebrata; Veterinary
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/S0264-410X(97)00289-2

Cattle produce specific serum antibody mainly of the IgG1 isotype in response to infection with the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica. In these animals a positive correlation between fluke-specific serum IgG1 levels and fluke-burden in non-immunized infected animals was observed. In contrast, immunization of cattle with a combination of the fluke-derived antigens cathepsin L2 (CL2) and fluke haemoglobin (FHb) in Freund's complete/incomplete adjuvant ( FCA FIA ) induced a· specific antibody response involving IgG2, as well as IgG1. These immunized animals also exhibited very high (72%) levels of protection against a subsequent challenge infection. When the vaccine was administered in FIA alone the specific antibody response, while still involving IgG1 and IgG2, was of lower magnitude (10-fold and 100-fold, respectively) and no significant reduction in fluke burden was observed following challenge. Nevertheless, in these animals, a strong IgG2 response was associated with low fluke burdens. These results provide further evidence of the non-protective nature of specific immune responses in cattle following F. hepatica infection, and demonstrate that vaccination can induce a qualitatively different, and protective, response.