EVALUATION OF THE IMMUNOGENICITY OF THE RECOMBINANT PROTEIN GSTMU OF FASCIOLA HEPATICA (RFHGSTMU) ADSORBED ON ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE IN SHEEP

FERNANDEZ, V.; SOLA, J.; MORAN, MC.; GUTIERREZ, S.; ESTEIN, S.

Mar del Plata

Otro; Reunión Anual de SOCIEDADES DE BIOCIENCIA 2019; 2019

Fasciola hepatica is a zoonosis which causes significanteconomic losses in ruminants. The development of a vaccine emerges as analternative for the control of this disease. The recombinant protein GST Mu from F. hepatica (rFhGSTMu) adsorbed on aluminum hydroxide (rGSTMu + Al(OH)3) conferred 90% protection against this parasite in the mousemodel. The objective of this work was to evaluate the humoral and cellular immuneresponse against this vaccine in the susceptible species. Corriedale femalesheeps were immunized twice every 30 days. The humoral immune response wasanalyzed byan indirect ELISA. Blood was obtained every 15 days from day 0 to75. The in vivo immune cell response wasevaluated on the day 75 by performing the intradermal test with rFhGSTMu.Specific serum IgG antibodies increased aftereach boost unlike that observed in the control group (without immunization), whichmaintained baseline levels throughout the trial. The differences were maximumand significative (p <0.05) two weeks after the last immunization. Thepresence of a cellular immune response was not detected in vivo. This preliminary result indicates that rGSTMu + Al (OH)3is immunogenic in sheep. In the future, we will evaluate the protectionconferred against F. hepatica insheep.