title: Oral administration of a live attenuated Salmonella vaccine strain expressing the VapA protein induces protection against infection by Rhodococcus equi.
abstract: Rhodococcus equi remains one of the most important pathogens of foals and vaccination strategies to prevent rhodococcosis are under increasing investigation. Attenuated Salmonella strains carrying heterologous antigens offer an advantageous alternative to conventional vaccines, especially because they induce mucosal and systemic immunity. In this work, we expressed the VapA antigen from R. equi in a Salmonella enterica Typhimurium strain, which was able to colonize and persist in the lymphoid tissue of BALB/c mice. Two days after being challenged, oral immunized mice presented a 3- to 7-fold increase in R. equi clearance. This was progressively enhanced during infection and, on the 10th day, a CFU value 50-fold lower than that recovered from non-immunized mice was attained. The number of hepatic granulomas was 2 times lower, and leukocyte infiltration was transiently detected in immunized mice, contrasting with the severe inflammation and necrosis presented by non-immunized mice. Infection with 1 x 10(7)R. equi CFU caused 100% mortality in the control groups, while all immunized mice survived. This protection was associated with the detection of high levels of anti-VapA IgG in the serum of the vaccinated mice, predominantly the IgG2a isotype. Our results suggest that attenuated Salmonella encoding VapA may be used in foals to prevent rhodococcosis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Luciana C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ferraz
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brocchi
authors.forename: Maria-Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Roque-Barreira
mesh_terms: D000193:Actinomycetales Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D007114:Immunization; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016929:Rhodococcus equi / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D037521:Virulence Factors