title: Length of protection by murine vaccination with living infective third-stage hookworm larvae.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the length of protection by murine immunization with living third-stage hookworm larvae (L3) as measured by reduction in worm burden and host serologic antibody responses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outbred male (Kunming strain) mice were immunized subcutaneously with 500 L3 once every 2 weeks for a total of immunization for 3 times, and then challenged orally with 1000 L3 for 1 to 8 weeks after the final immunization. Host protective immunity was determined both by the reduction in worm burden as measured by the number of L3 recovered from murine lungs 48-hour post-challenge, as well as by measurement of circulating antibodies. Histopathological responses were also examined. Non-immunized mice served as negative controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The protection by L3 immunization declined over time. One or 2 weeks after the final immunization, worm burdens were reduced 72% and 77.5% after challenge respectively. In contrast, only 37% reduction in worm burden was observed when the L3 challenge was delayed by 4 weeks and protection was almost entirely lost when there was an 8 week delay between the time of final immunization and challenge. The reduced level of protection over time partially correlated with diminishing L3-specific antibody responses. Host inflammation in the lungs of immunized mice also diminished.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The protection afforded by living L3 immunization is maximal for the first two weeks after immunization, but then declines significantly over the ensuing weeks.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qiang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hotez
mesh_terms: D000722:Ancylostoma / Q000276:immunology*; D000724:Ancylostomiasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology*; D007814:Larva / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth