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Infect Immun, August 1998, p. 3519-3522, Vol. 66, No. 8
0019-9567/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Proline-Rich Antigen of Coccidioides immitis as a Vaccine Candidate in Mice

Theo N. Kirkland,1 * Fred Finley,1 Kris I. Orsborn,2 3 and John N. Galgiani2 3 4 5

VA San Diego HealthCare System and Departments of Pathology and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California 921611; Research2 and Medical4 Services, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tucson, Arizona 85723; and the Departments of Internal Medicine5 and the Valley Fever Center for Excellence,3 University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721

Received 14 April 1998/Returned for modification 1 May 1998/Accepted 14 May 1998

We have expressed the proline-rich antigen (PRA) from Coccidioides immitis in Escherichia coli and evaluated its potential as a vaccine candidate. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of the recombinant protein (rPRA) revealed two bands, which exhibited virtually identical primary amino acid sequences. T cells from rPRA-immunized BALB/c mice showed a significant in vitro proliferative response to rPRA. A small but statistically significant proliferative response was also induced by rPRA in T cells from mice immunized with whole-cell coccidioidal vaccines. BALB/c mice immunized with rPRA and challenged intraperitoneally with virulent C. immitis had a greatly reduced fungal burden in their lungs and spleens compared to unvaccinated mice. The number of organisms in the lungs was reduced 500-fold, and similar reductions were observed in the spleens of immunized mice. These studies support the continued development of rPRA as a candidate vaccine for prevention of coccidioidomycosis.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Infectious Diseases Section, Medical Service (111-F), VA San Diego HealthCare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego, CA 92161. Phone: (619) 552-7446. Fax: (619) 552-4398. E-mail: tkirkland{at}ucsd.edu.

Infect Immun, August 1998, p. 3519-3522, Vol. 66, No. 8
0019-9567/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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Copyright © 1998 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.