1. α-Gal immunization positively impacts Trypanosoma cruzi colonization of heart tissue in a mouse model.
- Author
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Rodrigues da Cunha GM, Azevedo MA, Nogueira DS, Clímaco MC, Valencia Ayala E, Jimenez Chunga JA, La Valle RJY, da Cunha Galvão LM, Chiari E, Brito CRN, Soares RP, Nogueira PM, Fujiwara RT, Gazzinelli R, Hincapie R, Chaves CS, Oliveira FMS, Finn MG, and Marques AF
- Subjects
- Animals, Antibodies, Protozoan blood, Chagas Cardiomyopathy parasitology, Chagas Cardiomyopathy pathology, Cytokines genetics, Cytokines metabolism, Female, Gene Expression Regulation immunology, Immunoglobulin G blood, Macrophages, Peritoneal immunology, Macrophages, Peritoneal metabolism, Macrophages, Peritoneal parasitology, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Parasitemia, Toll-Like Receptor 2 genetics, Toll-Like Receptor 2 metabolism, Toll-Like Receptor 4 genetics, Toll-Like Receptor 4 metabolism, Chagas Cardiomyopathy prevention & control, Heart parasitology, Protozoan Vaccines immunology, Trypanosoma cruzi
- Abstract
Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is considered endemic in more than 20 countries but lacks both an approved vaccine and limited treatment for its chronic stage. Chronic infection is most harmful to human health because of long-term parasitic infection of the heart. Here we show that immunization with a virus-like particle vaccine displaying a high density of the immunogenic α-Gal trisaccharide (Qβ-αGal) induced several beneficial effects concerning acute and chronic T. cruzi infection in α1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout mice. Approximately 60% of these animals were protected from initial infection with high parasite loads. Vaccinated animals also produced high anti-αGal IgG antibody titers, improved IFN-γ and IL-12 cytokine production, and controlled parasitemia in the acute phase at 8 days post-infection (dpi) for the Y strain and 22 dpi for the Colombian strain. In the chronic stage of infection (36 and 190 dpi, respectively), all of the vaccinated group survived, showing significantly decreased heart inflammation and clearance of amastigote nests from the heart tissue., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Author Professor Egler Chiari was unable to confirm their authorship contributions. On their behalf, the corresponding author has reported their contributions to the best of their knowledge.
- Published
- 2021
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