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Infection and Immunity, February 2001, p. 1134-1141, Vol. 69, No. 2
Department of Biological Science, Illinois
State University, Normal, Illinois 61790,1 and
Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine,
Boston, Massachusetts 021112
Received 17 August 2000/Returned for modification 11 October
2000/Accepted 2 November 2000
Egg granuloma formation during schistosome infections is
mediated by CD4+ T helper (Th) cells sensitized to egg
antigens; however, most of the relevant sensitizing egg antigens are
still unknown. Here we show that schistosome thioredoxin peroxidase
(TPx)-1 is a novel T- and B-cell egg antigen in schistosome-infected
mice. CD4+ Th cell responses to fractionated egg components
identified a significant response against a 26-kDa antigen; a partial
amino acid sequence of this antigen was found to be identical to that of Schistosoma mansoni TPx-1. The native TPx-1 elicited
significant proliferative responses as well as gamma interferon
(IFN-
0019-9567/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.69.2.1134-1141.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Schistosome Infection Stimulates Host
CD4+ T Helper Cell and B-Cell Responses against a Novel Egg
Antigen, Thioredoxin Peroxidase

), interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, and IL-5 secretion in
CD4+ cells from 8.5-week-infected CBA and C57BL/6 mice. By
comparison, recombinant TPx-1 elicited a smaller, more type 1-polarized
response, with significant production of IFN-
and IL-2, less IL-5,
and essentially no IL-4. In C57BL/6 mice the responses to TPx-1 were relatively more prominent than that directed against the major egg
antigen, Sm-p40, whereas in CBA mice the reverse was true. B-cell
responses were also monitored in infected C57BL/6, C3H, CBA, and BALB/c
mice. All strains had significant antibody levels against the TPx-1
protein, but the most significant antibody production ensued following
parasite oviposition. TPx-1 was localized in eggs and shown to be
secreted by eggs. The identification of egg antigens is important to
understand the specific basis of granuloma formation in schistosome
infections and may prove to be useful in strategies to ameliorate
pathological responses.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Biological Sciences. Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61761. Phone: (309) 438-2608. Fax: (309) 438-3722. E-mail:
dlwilli{at}ilstu.edu.
Present address: Department of Parasitology, NIID, Japan,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan 162-8640.
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