Paraguai de Souza E, Bernardo R R, Palatnik M, Palatnik de Sousa C B
Instituto de Microbiologia, Prof. Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), CCS, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, CP 68040. CEP 21941-590., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Vaccine. 2001 Apr 30;19(23-24):3104-15. doi: 10.1016/s0264-410x(01)00031-7.
Leishmania donovani GP36 glycoprotein is the main antigen of the FML Fucose Mannose Ligand (FML) complex specifically recognized by sera of kala-azar human patients. The GP36 was isolated by chemical elution + sonication and used for Balb/c mouse vaccination in combination with saponin, by the s.c. route, inducing a strong and specific protective effect against experimental visceral leishmaniasis shown by the increase of: specific IgG antibodies (82.6%), mainly IgG2a, the delayed type of hypersensitivity to promastigote lysate (37.8%, P < 0.001), the in vitro cellular proliferative response to GP36 of ganglia lymphocytes (53.5%, P < 0.005) and the decrease of liver parasite burden (68.1%, P < 0.025). Saponin treated controls reacted significantly differently from GP36 vaccinated animals at all the assayed variables (P < 0.05). GP36 induced significant protection against murine visceral leishmaniasis at concentrations commonly used for vaccination with recombinant antigens.
