Immunization of rats against Fasciola hepatica using crude antigens conjugated with Freund’ Adjuvants or oligodeoxynucleotides.

L CERVI, JE BORGONOVO, M EGEA, LS CHIAPELLO AND DT MASIH

VETERINARY IMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOPATHOLOGY

Elsevier

Año: 2004 vol. 97 p. 97 - 97

0165-2427

p class="abstract">Chronic Fasciola hepatica infection is correlated with the development of a T helper (Th2)-predominant immune response. To determine whether immunostimulatory CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN) or Freund´s complete adjuvant (FCA), known to promote a Th1 (T helper 1) immune responses, could provide protection from F. hepatica infection, total homogenate (TH) of F. hepatica mixed with CpG-ODN or FCA were injected subcutaneously (s.c.) into Wistar rats. A F. hepatica-specific Th1-predominant immune response was induced with CpG-ODN or FCA in lymph nodes of immunized animals. Lymph node cells from TH-CpG-ODN or TH-FCA immunized rats showed increased antigen-specific proliferation with high levels of INFgamma, compared to lymphocytes from rats injected with TH alone. In contrast, these two groups of immunized animals did not modify IL-4 release by draining lymph node cells, when they were subsequently stimulated with TH in vitro. However, a significant reduct