Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2010 Apr;43(2):138-46. doi: 10.1016/S1684-1182(10)60022-9.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Leishmaniasis is currently a threat in 80 countries around the world, and cutaneous Leishmaniasis accounts for more than 5% of new cases. It is a problematic disease in Iran, and preparing a protective vaccine has been a major goal of medical investigations. The objective of this study was to compare the protective effects of a cocktail vaccine candidate encoding various Leishmania major antigens in highly susceptible (Balb/C, or type I mice) and resistant (laboratory small white, or type II) mice.
A new antigen formulation was evaluated in type I and II mice. Leishmania major promastigotes was cultured and harvested at different growth stages, and a cocktail made from the harvested organisms. The preparations were tested for sterility and contamination by endotoxin. Five different methods were utilized to produce a crude antigen preparation. The protein levels of the antigen preparations were measured using the Lowry method, and the antigens were intradermally injected using different protocols for type I and II mice. After 38 days, all mice were euthanized with diethyl ether, and spleens were removed. Histological sections were prepared, stained with hematoxylin and eosin and changes to the splenic white pulp (SWP) were studied microscopically.
Compared with the control groups, there was a drastic change in white pulp structure. The size increases of the SWP were dependent on the injection group and mouse strain. There was a remarkable expansion of lymphoid follicles in the treated groups in both mice strains.
The new antigen formulation was able to stimulate and expand the lymphoid constituents of spleen tissue. The SWP is where immune responses and antibodies are produced. Therefore, the effect of the antigen preparations on secondary immune responses, adaptive immunity, and antibody production is important in determining the susceptibility of mice to cutaneous Leishmaniasis and the induction of immunity.
背景/目的：利什曼病目前在全球 80 个国家构成威胁，其中皮肤利什曼病占新发病例的 5%以上。伊朗是该病的多发区，制备保护性疫苗一直是医学研究的主要目标。本研究旨在比较编码不同利什曼原虫主要抗原的鸡尾酒候选疫苗在高度易感（Balb/C，I 型小鼠）和抗性（实验室小白鼠，II 型）小鼠中的保护作用。
在 I 型和 II 型小鼠中评估了一种新的抗原制剂。培养和收获不同生长阶段的利什曼原虫前鞭毛体，并制备从收获的生物体中提取的混合物。对制剂进行无菌和内毒素污染检测。采用 5 种不同的方法制备粗抗原制剂。采用 Lowry 法测量抗原制剂的蛋白水平，并根据不同方案对 I 型和 II 型小鼠进行皮内注射。38 天后，所有小鼠均用二乙醚处死，取出脾脏。制备组织学切片，用苏木精和伊红染色，显微镜下观察脾脏白髓（SWP）的变化。
与对照组相比，白髓结构发生了剧烈变化。SWP 的大小增加取决于注射组和小鼠品系。两种小鼠品系的处理组中，淋巴滤泡明显扩大。
新抗原制剂能够刺激和扩展脾脏组织的淋巴成分。SWP 是产生免疫反应和抗体的地方。因此，抗原制剂对次级免疫反应、适应性免疫和抗体产生的影响对于确定小鼠对皮肤利什曼病的易感性和诱导免疫至关重要。
