title: Cysteine proteinase type III is protective against Leishmania infantum infection in BALB/c mice and highly antigenic in visceral leishmaniasis individuals.
abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis is the most acute form of leishmaniasis and vaccination is the best approach to control it. One of the major groups of virulence factors in Leishmania belongs to cysteine proteinase family. In this study, for the first time, the protective potential of Leishmania infantum cysteine proteinase type III (CPC) by using a prime-boost strategy is evaluated in BALB/c mice. The experiment was carried out in three groups of mice. Vaccinated group was primed with pcDNA-cpc and boosted with rCPC-DHFR in combination with CpG motif and Montanide 720 as adjuvant. Control groups received pcDNA and rDHFR or PBS. The ratio of IgG2a/IgG1, nitric oxide concentration and IFN-gamma induction in vaccinated group is significantly higher than controls. Furthermore, the parasite load of vaccinated group is significantly lower than controls. In addition, sera reactivity of visceral leishmaniasis individuals was examined and showed considerable reactivities toward rCPC in comparison with cutaneous leishmaniasis. The achieved result is highly encouraging the use of cysteine proteinases types I, II and III as vaccine candidate against visceral leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology and Vaccine Research Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Naghmeh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khoshgoo
authors.forename: Farnaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zahedifard
authors.forename: Hiva
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Azizi
authors.forename: Yasaman
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taslimi
authors.forename: Maribel Jiménez
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Sima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rafati
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D019556:COS Cells; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000276:immunology*; D054332:Leishmaniasis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D054332:Leishmaniasis Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases