NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODY-RESPONSES ELICITED IN MICE IMMUNIZED WITH RECOMBINANT BACILLUS-CALMETTE-GUERIN PRODUCING THE SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI GLUTATHIONE-S-TRANSFERASE
L. Kremer et al., NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODY-RESPONSES ELICITED IN MICE IMMUNIZED WITH RECOMBINANT BACILLUS-CALMETTE-GUERIN PRODUCING THE SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI GLUTATHIONE-S-TRANSFERASE, The Journal of immunology, 156(11), 1996, pp. 4309-4317
Schistosomiasis is a group of severe parasitic diseases, in humans and
domestic animals, that are especially of importance in the developing
world, No efficacious vaccine is currently available, However, Ab-med
iated immune responses against the 28-kDa glutathione S-transferase of
Schistosoma mansoni (Sm28GST) appear to be involved in protection, Th
is Ag was produced in recombinant Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmett
e-Guerin (BCG). The recombinant protein bound glutathione and expresse
d enzymatic activity, indicating that the active site of Sm28GST was f
olded properly, Single i.v., i.p., s.c., or intranasal immunizations w
ith rBCG in BALB/c mice resulted in significant anti-Sm28GST Ab respon
ses, which were enhanced by a booster dose, The Ab responses remained
high for at least 1 yr after immunization. Analyses of the isotype pro
files indicated that i.v. immunized mice produced high titers of anti-
Sm28GST IgG2a, and less IgG2b and IgG1. Mice immunized by the s.c. rou
te initially also produced high levels of IgG2a and low titers of IgG1
and IgG2b, but the titers of the latter two isotypes increased gradua
lly thereafter, tending toward a mixed profile, Intraperitoneal immuni
zation provided a mixed profile directly after the first administratio
n, High titers of anti-Sm28GST Abs also corresponded to high levels of
neutralization of the enzymatic activity, These results indicate that
rBCG induces strong IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b, and neutralizing Ab respo
nses against Sm28GST, which has been found to correlate with protectio
n against S. mansoni in humans.