THE ROLE OF TESTOSTERONE IN THE VACCINATION PROCESS AGAINST T. CRUZI

BULFONI BALBI CAMILA; PACINI M. FLORENCIA; DINATALE BRENDA; GONZÁLEZ FLORENCIA; PROCHETTO ESTEFANIA; FARRÉ CECILIA; CHAPO GUSTAVO; MARCIPAR IVÁN; CABRERA GABRIEL; PÉREZ ANA ROSA

Rio de Janeiro

Jornada; II Jornada INCT-NIM; 2022

INCT-NIM

Most preclinical immunization studies evaluate only one sex, assuming that the results apply to the opposite sex. Thus, the inclusion of both sexes in studies of immunogenicity becomes increasingly imperative. In this context, our objective was to evaluate the humoral and cellular response induced after experimental vaccine administration against T. cruzi in BALB/c males -M- and females -F- (n=8/group), and the influence of testosterone upon immunogenicity on M. Thirty days before immunization, M underwent surgical gonadectomy (M-Gx) or simulated surgery (M-Sham) and later subdivided into 3 groups (n=5/group). Each group of M and F received three doses (1 every 15 days) of the following formulations: Trans-sialidase (TS), TS+c-di-AMP adjuvant (TS+A) or Vehicle (V). A delayed hypersensitivity test was done to estimate the specific cellular response (pad thickness at different post-TS challenge times). Plasma was obtained to determine anti-TS levels (IgG, ELISA). Results: In both sexes, TS+A mice exhibit an enhanced cellular response (p