Protection of pigs against Taenia solium cysticercosis by immunization with novel recombinant antigens

Charles G Gauci,César M Jayashi,Armando E Gonzalez,Julia Lackenby,Marshall W Lightowlers

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.04.019

Abstract

Recombinant antigens from the oncosphere stage of the parasite Taenia solium were expressed in Escherichia coli. The TSOL16, TSOL45-1A and TSOL45-1B recombinant antigens, each consisting of fibronectin type III (FnIII) domain S, were produced as fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase (GST) and maltose binding protein (MBP). Groups of pigs were immunized twice with the GST fusions of the antigens and boosted a third time with the MBP fusions prior to receiving a challenge infection with T. solium eggs. The TSOL16 antigen was found to be capable of inducing high levels of immunity in pigs against a challenge infection with T. solium. Immunological investigations identified differences in immune responses in the pigs vaccinated with the various antigens. The results demonstrate that the TSOL16 antigen could be a valuable adjunct to current porcine vaccination approaches and may allow the further development of new vaccination strategies against T. solium cysticercosis.

Highlights

Cysticercosis in humans occurs following infection with the cestode parasite Taenia solium and is a major cause of neurological disease worldwide [1]
Pigs belonging to the group immunized with the TSOL45-1A antigen were all found to be infected and contained between 1–63 cysticerci per animal, representing a 97.9% reduction in the mean number of parasites found in control animals (961), statistical comparison of the group immunized with TSOL45-1A and the controls did not find the groups to be significantly different (P = 0.087, Mann–Whitney U test)
The results of the vaccine trial in which pigs were immunized with the TSOL16 recombinant antigen demonstrates that the antigen is able to confer high levels of protection against challenge infection with T. solium (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Cysticercosis in humans occurs following infection with the cestode parasite Taenia solium and is a major cause of neurological disease worldwide [1]. It is associated with poor living standards and poor sanitation, occurring in developing countries where freeroaming pigs and the lack of latrines contribute to transmission of the parasite from pigs to humans. Other recombinant antigens have been cloned from the larval oncosphere stage of the T. solium parasite. These include a family of related antigens, designated TSOL45, that have been identified as protein isoforms, some of which result from alternatively spliced mRNA transcripts in the oncosphere [7].

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Conclusion