This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dumonteil, E.
Right arrow Articles by Ramirez-Sierra, M. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dumonteil, E.
Right arrow Articles by Ramirez-Sierra, M. J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, January 2004, p. 46-53, Vol. 72, No. 1
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.1.46-53.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Immunotherapy of Trypanosoma cruzi Infection with DNA Vaccines in Mice

Eric Dumonteil,* Javier Escobedo-Ortegon, Norma Reyes-Rodriguez, Arletty Arjona-Torres, and Maria Jesus Ramirez-Sierra

Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

Received 27 May 2003/ Returned for modification 26 July 2003/ Accepted 26 September 2003

The mechanisms involved in the pathology of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy are still debated, and the controversy has interfered with the development of new treatments and vaccines. Because of the potential of DNA vaccines for immunotherapy of chronic and infectious diseases, we tested if DNA vaccines could control an ongoing Trypanosoma cruzi infection. BALB/c mice were infected with a lethal dose (5 x 104 parasites) as a model of acute infection, and then they were treated with two injections of 100 µg of plasmid DNA 1 week apart, beginning on day 5 postinfection. Control mice had high levels of parasitemia and mortality and severe cardiac inflammation, while mice treated with plasmid DNA encoding trypomastigote surface antigen 1 or Tc24 had reduced parasitemia and mild cardiac inflammation and >70% survived the infection. The efficacy of the immunotherapy also was significant when it was delayed until days 10 and 15 after infection. Parasitological analysis of cardiac tissue of surviving mice indicated that most mice still contained detectable parasite kinetoplast DNA but fewer mice contained live parasites, suggesting that there was efficient but not complete parasite elimination. DNA vaccine immunotherapy was also evaluated in CD1 mice infected with a low dose (5 x 102 parasites) as a model of chronic infection. Immunotherapy was initiated on day 70 postinfection and resulted in improved survival and reduced cardiac tissue inflammation. These results suggest that DNA vaccines have strong potential for the immunotherapy of T. cruzi infection and may provide new alternatives for the control of Chagas' disease.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Av. Itzaes 490 x 59, Centro, 97000, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. Phone: (999) 924-5910, ext. 118. Fax: (999) 923-6120. E-mail: oliver{at}tunku.uady.mx.

Editor: W. A. Petri, Jr.

Infection and Immunity, January 2004, p. 46-53, Vol. 72, No. 1
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.1.46-53.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Silveira, E. L. V., Claser, C., Haolla, F. A. B., Zanella, L. G., Rodrigues, M. M. (2008). Novel Protective Antigens Expressed by Trypanosoma cruzi Amastigotes Provide Immunity to Mice Highly Susceptible to Chagas' Disease. CVI 15: 1292-1300 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hoft, D. F., Eickhoff, C. S., Giddings, O. K., Vasconcelos, J. R. C., Rodrigues, M. M. (2007). Trans-Sialidase Recombinant Protein Mixed with CpG Motif-Containing Oligodeoxynucleotide Induces Protective Mucosal and Systemic Trypanosoma cruzi Immunity Involving CD8+ CTL and B Cell-Mediated Cross-Priming. J. Immunol. 179: 6889-6900 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Duthie, M. S., Kahn, M., Zakayan, A., White, M., Kahn, S. J. (2007). Parasite-Induced Chronic Inflammation Is Not Exacerbated by Immunotherapy before or during Trypanosoma cruzi Infection. CVI 14: 1005-1012 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Araujo, A. F. S., de Alencar, B. C. G., Vasconcelos, J. R. C., Hiyane, M. I., Marinho, C. R. F., Penido, M. L. O., Boscardin, S. B., Hoft, D. F., Gazzinelli, R. T., Rodrigues, M. M. (2005). CD8+-T-Cell-Dependent Control of Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in a Highly Susceptible Mouse Strain after Immunization with Recombinant Proteins Based on Amastigote Surface Protein 2. Infect. Immun. 73: 6017-6025 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»