PROFILIN FROM TOXOPLASMA GONDII AS ADJUVANT IN AN ALLERGEN-SPECIFIC IMMUNOTHERAPY

MARCH F. ; FENOY I. ; SOTO A. ; SANCHEZ V. ; CASTERA F. ; PICCHIO M. ; MARTIN V. ; MORETTA R. ; GOLDMAN A

Los Cocos, Còrdoba

Congreso; LXI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología; 2013

SAI

Asthma is a chronic airway inflammation orchestrated by Th2 cells. We have previously shown that Toxoplasma gondii infection prevents allergic lung inflammation. T. gondii profilin is a TLR ligand that induces a strong Th1 immune response, making profilin a good candidate to use as adjuvant for allergy treatment. Hence, we evaluated r-profilin (P) capacity to treat lung allergy. Profilin was cloned from T. gondii RH strain tachyzoites, expressed and purified from E. coli cultures. BALB/c mice were sensitized with 2 ip OVA (allergen)/Alum and aerosol challenged with OVA 3%. Two days later, mice were treated 3 consecutive days by intranasal (IN) route with OVA plus P (O/OP). Control groups included non-sensitized mice IN treated with P alone (PBS/P) as negative control and sensitized mice treated IN with OVA alone (O/O) as positive control. One week later, mice were aerosol challenged with OVA again. Treated mice showed a strong decreased in BAL eosinophilia, both in percentage (PBS/P: 0,0±0,0a; O/O: 29,05±4,4b; O/OP: 9,5±4,2c; %±SEM p