Ep. De Souza et al., Vaccination of Balb/c mice against experimental visceral leishmaniasis with the GP36 glycoprotein antigen of Leishmania donovani, VACCINE, 19(23-24), 2001, pp. 3104-3115
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 experimenta
l 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 p
arasite burden (68.1%, P <0.025). Saponin treated controls reacted signific
antly differently from GP36 vaccinated animals at all the assayed variables
(P < 0.05). GP36 induced significant protection against murine visceral le
ishmaniasis at concentrations commonly used For vaccination with recombinan
t antigens. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.