Zeitschrift für klinische und medizinische Genomik

Eukaryotic Plasmids with Toxoplasma gondii Dense Granule Antigen (GRA 5) and Microneme 3 (MIC3) Genes as a Cocktail DNA Vaccine and Evaluation of Immune Responses in BALB/C Mice

Abstract

Ghaffarifar F, Naserifar R and Jafari Madrak M

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan that causes toxoplasmosis in human and animal. This parasite is worldwide spread and about one third of people are seropositive. Toxoplasmosis in immuno compromised patients causes serious symptoms. Toxoplasma gondii has a lot of various immunogenic antigens. Excreted/secreted antigens could stimulate of the cell mediated immune response and hence it appears to be a good candidate for vaccine in toxoplasmosis. In this study Microneme3 (MIC3) and GRA5 of Toxoplasma gondii are used as DNA vaccine.

The results indicated that survival rate of mice that immunized by recombinant plasmid have significant differences with control groups. IgG and IgG2a assay approved significant different between case and control groups (P<0.05). Cytokine assay indicated high level of IFN-γ and low level of IL4 for immunized groups.These results indicated DNA vaccine encoded MIC3 and GRA5 genes of Toxoplasma gondii capable to induced partially protection against toxoplasmosis.