title: SjTat-TPI facilitates adaptive T-cell responses and reduces hepatic pathology during Schistosoma japonicum infection in BALB/c mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schistosomiasis is a kind of parasitic zoonoses which causes serious damage to public health and social development. China is one of the countries most affected by Schistosoma japonicum and an effective vaccine is still needed. In this study, we adopted Tat-mediated protein transduction technology to investigate the impact of different antigen presented approaches on host's immune response and the potential protection against Schistosoma japonicum infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We successfully constructed the recombinant S. japonicum triosephosphate isomerase, Tat-TPI, as a vaccine candidate. Whether injected with Tat-TPI in foot pad or vaccinated with Tat-TPI in the back subcutaneously for three times, the draining popliteal lymph nodes and spleen both developed a stronger CD8(+)T response (Tc1) in mice. Not only that, but it also helped CD4(+)T cells to produce more IFN-γ than TPI immunisation. In addition, it could boost IgG production, especially IgG1 subclass. Most importantly, Tat-TPI immunisation led to the significant smaller area of a single egg granuloma in the livers as compared with TPI-vaccinated or control groups. However, the anti-infection efficiency induced by Tat-TPI was still restricted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicated that immunisation with Tat-fused TPI could contribute to enhance CD4(+)T-cell response and decrease hepatic egg granulomatous area after S. japonicum infection though it did not achieve our expected protection against Schistosoma japonicum infection. The optimal vaccine strategy warrants further research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. 269180986@qq.com.
authors.forename: Wenyue
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. 571038076@qq.com.
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. 402378464@qq.com.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. 849799734@qq.com.
authors.forename: Yuxiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. yangbingya2005@163.com.|Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. yangbingya2005@163.com.
authors.forename: Bingya
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. houmin@njmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. zhipengxu@njmu.edu.cn.|Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. zhipengxu@njmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhipeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214064, China. chxnyu@163.com.
authors.forename: Chuanxin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. 394722675@qq.com.
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. linchen@njmu.edu.cn.|Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. linchen@njmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. jiminjun@njmu.edu.cn.|Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Modern Pathogen Biology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China. jiminjun@njmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Minjun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014305:Triose-Phosphate Isomerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D014305:Triose-Phosphate Isomerase