Eimeria maxima recombinant Gam82 gametocyte antigen vaccine protects against coccidiosis and augments humoral and cell-mediated immunity

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 28; no. 17; pp. 2980 - 2985
• Main Authors: Jang, Seung I, Lillehoj, Hyun S, Lee, Sung Hyen, Lee, Kyung Woo, Park, Myeong Seon, Cha, Sung-Rok, Lillehoj, Erik P, Subramanian, B. Mohana, Sriraman, R, Srinivasan, V.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 09.04.2010; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Allergy and Immunology; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Antibodies, Protozoan - immunology; Antibody response; Antigens, Protozoan - administration & dosage; Antigens, Protozoan - immunology; Applied microbiology; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight; Cell growth; Chickens; Coccidiosis; Coccidiosis - immunology; Coccidiosis - pathology; Coccidiosis - prevention & control; Coccidiosis - veterinary; Cytokines; Cytokines - secretion; E. maxima; Eimeria; Eimeria - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gam82; Human protozoal diseases; Immunity, Cellular; Immunization; Infectious diseases; Injections, Intramuscular; Intestines - pathology; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Parasite Egg Count; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Poultry; Poultry Diseases - immunology; Poultry Diseases - pathology; Poultry Diseases - prevention & control; Protected species; Proteins; Protozoal diseases; Protozoan Vaccines - administration & dosage; Protozoan Vaccines - immunology; Vaccines; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects); Coccidiosis; E. maxima; Gam82; Protozoa; Apicomplexa; Protozoal disease; Cellular immunity; Vaccine; Parasitosis; Infection; Eimeria maxima; Recombinant protein; Humoral immunity
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.02.011

Abstract Intestinal infection with Eimeria , the etiologic agent of avian coccidiosis, stimulates protective immunity to subsequent colonization by the homologous parasite, while cross-protection against heterologous species is poor. As a first step toward the development of a broad specificity Eimeria vaccine, this study was designed to assess a purified recombinant protein from Eimeria maxima gametocytes (Gam82) in stimulating immunity against experimental infection with live parasites. Following Gam82 intramuscular immunization and oral parasite challenge, body weight gain, fecal oocyst output, lesion scores, serum antibody response, and cytokine production were assessed to evaluate vaccination efficacy. Animals vaccinated with Gam82 and challenged with E. maxima showed lower oocyst shedding and reduced intestinal pathology compared with non-vaccinated and parasite-challenged animals. Gam82 vaccination also stimulated the production of antigen-specific serum antibodies and induced greater levels of IL-2 and IL-15 mRNAs compared with non-vaccinated controls. These results demonstrate that the Gam82 recombinant protein protects against E. maxima and augments humoral and cell-mediated immunity.