title: The immune responses of sheep after DNA immunization with, Toxoplasma gondii MAG1 antigen-with and without co-expression of ovine interleukin 6.
abstract: The aim of this study is to compare the immune responses of sheep stimulated by the intramuscular injection of a liposome formulated-DNA plasmid encoding the Toxoplasma gondii MAG1 antigen only or co-expressed with ovine IL-6. Forty-five, 2-year-old sheep were divided into four groups. Group 1 received an empty pVAXIg plasmid, group 2 no treatment, group 3 liposome formulated plasmid pVAXIgMAG1 and group 4, pVAXIgMAG1 plus pVAXovIL-6 plasmids. All the animals were inoculated at weeks 0 and 4. The injection of sheep with a plasmid encoding for MAG1 only or a MAG1 plasmid co-expressed with a plasmid encoding for ovine IL-6 produced humoral immune responses. The plasmids containing MAG1 elevated significantly serum IgG1 and IgG2 levels 2 weeks and onwards after the first injection of the plasmids. Co-expression of IL-6 with MAG1 had no effect on IG1 or IG2 levels illustrating that IL-6 in the formulation used had no modulating effect on any measured immune response.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, Canterbury, New Zealand. ehiszczynska@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hiszczyńska-Sawicka
authors.forename: Masood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akhtar
authors.forename: Graham William
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Lucyna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Holec-Gasior
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bickerstaffe
authors.forename: Józef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kur
authors.forename: Mirosław
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stankiewicz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000662:veterinary; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000494:pharmacology; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000592:standards; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma