MUCOSAL VACCINE BASED ON TRANS-SIALIDASE PROTECTS AGAINST ACUTE AND CHRONIC DAMAGE AFTER ORAL INFECTION WITH TRYPANSOSOMA CRUZI

PACINI M. FLORENCIA; BULFONI BALBI CAMILA; DINATALE BRENDA; GONZÁLEZ FLORENCIA B; CECILIA FARRÉ; CHAPO GUSTAVO; BOTTASSO OSCAR ADELMO; CACIK PAULA; PROCHETTO ESTEFANIA; MARCIPAR IVÁN; PEREZ ANA R.

Mar del Plata

Congreso; LXX REUNIÓN ANUAL DE LA SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE INMUNOLOGÍA (SAI) & 3ER CONGRESO FRANCO-ARGENTINO DE INMUNOLOGÍA (FAIC); 2022

Sociedad Argentina de Inmunologia

Oral Chagas disease is a frequent form of infection in some countries of Latin America. Although there are drugs for its treatment, currently there are no prophylactic vaccines to combat the disease. Wepreviously showed that a nasal vaccine formulated with a N-terminalfragment of Trans-sialidase (TS) and combined with c-di-AMP(A)generated immunogenicity at mucosal and systemic levels, in termsof cellular and humoral response. Here, we evaluated prophylacticefficacy during acute (17 dpi) and chronic (110 dpi) phases. Thus,female BALB/c mice (n=4-7/group) were intranasal immunized (3doses, one every 2 weeks). As control groups, we used mice notimmunized (NI) or only treated with TS or c-di-AMP. After immunization, animals were orally challenged with 3000 Tulahuen strain/mice (sub-lethal challenge). Parasitemia and clinical affectation(score) were recorded during the course of experiments. Muscleand liver damage (plasma CK, GOT, GPT) were assessed duringthe acute phase. Parasite load (qPCR), cytokines (TNF-α and INF-γby ELISA and CBA) and myocarditis were evaluated at acute andchronic phases by histopathology. Heart functional impairment wasevaluated by electrocardiogram (ECG) at 110 dpi. Clinical affectation, parasitemia and, acute muscle and hepatic damage were lessevident in TS+A [e.g. GPT (17 dpi, AU, meanESM), Tc: 1880958,TS:12481200, TS+A 25035, NI 10725] compared to the rest of thegroups (in all cases, p