PARAMYOSIN - A CANDIDATE VACCINE ANTIGEN AGAINST SCHISTOSOMA-JAPONICUM

Paramyosin, a 97 kDa myofibrillar protein, is a candidate vaccine anti gen for prevention of infection with the human parasite Schistosoma ma nsoni. To determine if paramyosin would also induce protection against Schistosoma japonicum, paramyosin was biochemically purified from S. japonicum adult worms. SDS-PAGE demonstrated a single protein with a m olecular weight of 97 kDa. In four separate experiments, vaccination o f mice with S. japonicum paramyosin without adjuvant induced significa nt resistance (62%-86%, P < 0.001) against cercarial challenge as comp ared to controls. These data suggest that S. japonicum paramyosin may represent a candidate vaccine for immunization against schistosomiasis japonica.