Abstract

The Plasmodium falciparum serine repeat antigen (SERA) is one of the promising blood-stage malarial vaccine candidates. In this study, recombinant Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guerin (rBCG) expressing the 22 kDa protein (SE22) from the 47 kDa Nterminal domain of serine repeat antigen (SERA), generated in favour of mycobacterium codon usage, elicited specific immune response in BALB/c mice with a mixed Th1/Th2 profile. Immunized sera containing high levels of specific IgG1 and IgG2a against the epitope (as determined by ELISA) were reactive with fixed P. falciparum merozoites as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Furthermore, the lymphocyte proliferative response to SE22 antigen from rBCG-immunized mice was higher than that of controls. The expression of intracellular cytokines (IL-2, IL-4 and IFNγ) in CD4+- and CD8+-cells was also enhanced following in-vitro stimulation with SE22. These findings indicate that a rBCG-based vaccine candidate expressing a blood-stage antigen of P. falciparum could enhance both humoral and cellular immune responses, thus paving the way for the rational use of rBCG as a vaccine candidate against malaria.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Teo WH, Nurul AA, Norazmi MN

Institution

Schools of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.

Source

Tropical biomedicine 29:2 2012 Jun pg 239-53

MeSH

Animals
Antibodies, Protozoan
Antibody Formation
Antigens, Protozoan
BCG Vaccine
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
Cloning, Molecular
Cytokines
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Escherichia coli
Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect
Immunity, Cellular
Immunity, Humoral
Immunoglobulin G
Lymphocyte Activation
Lymphokines
Malaria Vaccines
Malaria, Falciparum
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Plasmodium falciparum
Vaccines, Synthetic

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22735846