title: Evaluation of the immune response in BALB/c mice induced by a novel DNA vaccine expressing GRA14 against Toxoplasma gondii.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii can cause severe and even fatal disease in human beings and animals. Effective vaccines may contribute to control toxoplasmosis. GRA14, a novel secreted dense granule protein of T. gondii, has been proposed as a vaccine candidate due to its intervacuolar transport and unique topology in the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. In this study, we constructed a DNA vaccine encoding GRA14 of T. gondii. BALB/c mice were immunized intramuscularly three times at 2 week intervals and challenged with T. gondii RH strain 5 weeks later. The immune responses were evaluated using lymphocyte proliferation assay, cytokine and antibody measurements. In addition, the survival times and parasite load of mice challenged with the virulent T. gondii RH strain were evaluated. The results showed that the mice immunized with pcGRA14 induced both enhanced specific humoral and Th1 cellular immune responses, and also mice immunized with the pcGRA14 showed an increased survival time and decreased parasite load compared with control groups (P<.05). The results indicated, for the first time, that the GRA14 is a potential DNA vaccine against toxoplasmosis.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ahmadpour
authors.affiliation: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarvi
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Hashemi Soteh
authors.affiliation: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharif
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valadan
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tehrani
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Department, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khalilian
authors.affiliation: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montazeri
authors.affiliation: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8571-5803
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daryani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D016466:CHO Cells; D003412:Cricetulus; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D059208:Parasite Load; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016207:Cytokines; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA
keywords: 
  Toxoplasma gondii
  ; DNA vaccine; GRA14 gene; dense granule