Aly Ibrahim, ELnain Gehan, Hamad Rabab S, Kilany Mona, Ghramh Hamed A, Alshehri Aly, Dajem Saad M, Ibrahim Essam H
Parasitology Laboratory, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Imbaba, P.O. Box 30, Giza, Egypt.
Parasitology Laboratory, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Imbaba, P.O. Box 30, Giza, Egypt; Natural Science, Mathan Science Program, University College, Abu Dhabi University, United Arab Emirates.
Exp Parasitol. 2018 Nov;194:53-59. doi: 10.1016/j.exppara.2018.09.018. Epub 2018 Sep 25.
Schistosomiasis is a fatal disease that has a negative impact on health and economics. Praziquantel (PZQ) is the drug of choice for schistosomiasis treatment, but it has no prophylactic effect; therefore, vaccination is an essential requirement in schistosomiasis control. This work was carried out to investigate the possible effect of DNA vaccination against Schistosoma mansoni infection using recombinant S. mansoni fatty acid binding protein (rsmFABP). The smFABP gene was cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNAI/Amp in order to obtain an smFABP-pcDNAI recombinant plasmid (DNA vaccine) and was used for the intramuscular DNA vaccination of out-bread Swiss albino mice prior to infection with S. mansoni cercariae. Infected groups, either DNA vaccinated or unvaccinated, were treated with PZQ at week 6 post-infection. After 8 weeks post-infection, all mouse groups were sacrificed and parasitological, immunological and histopathological parameters were studied. DNA vaccinated mice showed a high titer of anti-smFABP-IgG antibodies and acquired significant protection (74.2%, p < 0.01) against S. mansoni infection, with a reduction in ova and granuloma counts. DNA vaccinated and PZQ treated animals had higher titers of anti-smFABP-IgG antibodies and decreased (87%, P < 0.001) parenchymal granulomas compared to the DNA vaccinated PZQ untreated group. Infected mice, either non DNA vaccinated or vaccinated, had very high collagen content and fibrous granulomas (74%) compared to the PZQ treated group (10.3% fibrous granuloma) and PZQ treated + DNA vaccinated group (0% fibrous granuloma). In conclusion, DNA vaccination had protective and anti-pathological effects in naive mice and greatly improved the pathological status in PZQ-treated animals, suggesting an immunological and pathological modulating effect of PZQ treatment.
血吸虫病是一种对健康和经济都有负面影响的致命疾病。吡喹酮(PZQ)是治疗血吸虫病的首选药物,但它没有预防作用;因此,疫苗接种是控制血吸虫病的一项基本要求。开展这项工作是为了研究使用重组曼氏血吸虫脂肪酸结合蛋白(rsmFABP)进行DNA疫苗接种对曼氏血吸虫感染可能产生的影响。将smFABP基因克隆到真核表达载体pcDNAI/Amp中,以获得smFABP-pcDNAI重组质粒(DNA疫苗),并在曼氏血吸虫尾蚴感染之前用于远交系瑞士白化小鼠的肌肉内DNA疫苗接种。感染组(无论是否接种DNA疫苗)在感染后第6周用PZQ治疗。感染后8周,处死所有小鼠组,并研究寄生虫学、免疫学和组织病理学参数。接种DNA疫苗的小鼠显示出高滴度的抗smFABP-IgG抗体,并获得了对曼氏血吸虫感染的显著保护(74.2%,p<0.01),虫卵和肉芽肿数量减少。与未用PZQ治疗的接种DNA疫苗组相比,接种DNA疫苗并用PZQ治疗的动物具有更高滴度的抗smFABP-IgG抗体,实质性肉芽肿减少(87%,P<0.001)。与PZQ治疗组(10.3%纤维性肉芽肿)和PZQ治疗+接种DNA疫苗组(0%纤维性肉芽肿)相比,未接种DNA疫苗或接种DNA疫苗的感染小鼠具有非常高的胶原蛋白含量和纤维性肉芽肿(74%)。总之,DNA疫苗接种对未感染小鼠具有保护和抗病理作用,并大大改善了PZQ治疗动物的病理状态,表明PZQ治疗具有免疫和病理调节作用。