Vaccination of mice against Schistosoma bovis with a recombinant fatty acid binding protein from Fasciola hepatica

Abstract

Two strains of mice (NMRI and C57/BL) were each immunized with a 15 kDa recombinant Fasciola hepatica fatty acid binding protein (FABP) (Fh15) and challenged percutaneously with Schistosoma bovis cercariae, C57/BL mice immunized with Fh15 had significant reductions in S. bovis worm burden recoveries (72% reductions over controls). When using NMRI mice, Fh15 in Freund's adjuvant failed to induce significant protection against S. bovis. In C57/BL mice, only antibodies to the IgG2a isotype increased after the second immunization and remained high through 8 weeks of S. bovis infection, This is the first time that a heterologous recombinant molecule from F. hepatica has been used in vaccination against S. bovis, obtaining a significant reduction in the number of worms in C57/BL mice.