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

MARCH F; FENOY, I; SOTO A; SANCHEZ V; CASTERA F; PICHIO M; MARTIN V; MORETTA R; GOLDMAN A

Los cocos

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

Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología

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 protein ligand that induces a strong Th1 immune response, making profilin a good candidate to use as adjuvant for allergy treatment. Hence, we evaluated the capacity of a recombinant profilin (P) 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 nonsensitized 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 again aerosol challenged with OVA. O/OP mice showed a strong decrease 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