title: Antigenicity of Trichomonas vaginalis heat-shock proteins in human infections.
abstract: Patients infected with Trichomonas vaginalis mount humoral and cellular immune responses that often do not protect against reinfection. The oxidative stressors produced by leukocytes may trigger a heat-shock-like response in T. vaginalis trophozoites, helping the parasite to survive host immune defenses. The antigenicity of T. vaginalis heat-shock proteins (HSPs) was examined by immunoprecipitation of T. vaginalis heat-induced proteins with sera from infected patients and controls. When T. vaginalis was heat-shocked, HSPs of 169-167 and 140-137 kDa were specifically recognized by sera from infected male and female patients. However, the majority of T. vaginalis HSPs were also immunoprecipitated by control sera; all sera recognized 72- to 71-kDa, 47- to 45-kDa, 38- to 37-kDa, 35-kDa, and 31-kDa heat-induced proteins. At least 15 proteins from non-heat-shocked T. vaginalis were immunoprecipitated by sera from infected patients and controls, indicating that natural or cross-reacting antibodies could participate in host responses to trichomoniasis. Molecules of 158, 135, 89, and 74-72 kDa were immunoprecipitated from some non-heat-shocked parasites only by patients' sera. A 38-kDa T. vaginalis protein was immunoprecipitated only by sera from infected females and may be specific for infection in women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Mississipi School of Medicine, Jackson 39216-4505, USA.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Davis-Hayman
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Finley
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Meade
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Lushbaugh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D014245:Trichomonas Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins