Gerbu adjuvant modulates the immune response and thus the course of infection in C56BL/6 mice immunised with Echinococcus multilocularis rec14-3-3 protein.
Vaccination with Echinococcus multilocularis 14-3-3 protein can protect mice against primary E. multilocularis infection. The present study investigated the efficacy and efficiency of the adjuvant muramyl dipeptide Gerbu, alone or together with recombinant 14-3-3 protein, to modulate the course of secondary E. multilocularis infection in C56BL/6 mice. The application of Gerbu alone already resulted in a parasite weight reduction when compared with infected control mice, while rec14-3-3 did not add to this effect. Immunological parameters were concurrently assessed with a mixed cell reaction including bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) together with lymph node cells from mice with or without immunisation and/or infection. While mice having received Gerbu adjuvant were found to highly proliferate in response to co-cultivation with 14-3-3-stimulated bone marrow dendritic cells, a sensitisation of BMDCs with vesicle fluid (VF) antigen lead to a striking decrease of the lymphoproliferative response in comparison to that of control mice, raising the hypothesis that immunosuppressive components may be part of this VF-antigen. Anti-14-3-3 antibody production was only found in those mice that had been previously 14-3-3-immunised, whereas all other only-infected mice failed to produce such antibodies. Conclusively, Gerbu adjuvant appears to directly generate a non-specific immune response that contributes to the control of the metacestode growth, putatively in association with a BMDC activity suppressed by components of the VF-antigen.
Margos
Maxi
M
Institute of Parasitology, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122, Bern, Switzerland.
Gottstein
Bruno
B
D048948:14-3-3 Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D000119:Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D048210:Echinococcus multilocularis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014611:Vaccination
D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D000119:Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine