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Immune recognition of Onchocerca volvulus proteins in the human host and animal models of onchocerciasis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

T.K. Manchang ,
I. Ajonina-Ekoti ,
D. Ndjonka ,
A. Eisenbarth ,
M.D. Achukwi ,
A. Renz ,
N.W. Brattig ,
E. Liebau  and
M. Breloer
T.K. Manchang*
Affiliation:
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, Veterinary Research Laboratory, Wakwa Regional Center, PO Box 65, Ngaoundere, Cameroon
I. Ajonina-Ekoti
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Physiology, University of Münster, Hindenburgplatz 55, 48143Münster, Germany
D. Ndjonka
Affiliation:
Faculty of Science, University of Ngaoundere, PO Box 454, Ngaoundere, Cameroon
A. Eisenbarth
Affiliation:
Institute of Evolution and Ecology, Department of Comparative Zoology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, D-72076Tübingen, Germany
M.D. Achukwi
Affiliation:
Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, Veterinary Research Laboratory, Wakwa Regional Center, PO Box 65, Ngaoundere, Cameroon
A. Renz
Affiliation:
Institute of Evolution and Ecology, Department of Comparative Zoology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, D-72076Tübingen, Germany
N.W. Brattig
Affiliation:
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
E. Liebau
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Physiology, University of Münster, Hindenburgplatz 55, 48143Münster, Germany
M. Breloer
Affiliation:
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
*
*E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Onchocerca volvulus is a tissue-dwelling, vector-borne nematode parasite of humans and is the causative agent of onchocerciasis or river blindness. Natural infections of BALB/c mice with Litomosoides sigmodontis and of cattle with Onchocerca ochengi were used as models to study the immune responses to O. volvulus-derived recombinant proteins (OvALT-2, OvNLT-1, Ov103 and Ov7). The humoral immune response of O. volvulus-infected humans against OvALT-2, OvNLT-1 and Ov7 revealed pronounced immunoglobulin G (IgG) titres which were, however, significantly lower than against the lysate of O. volvulus adult female worms. Sera derived from patients displaying the hyperreactive form of onchocerciasis showed a uniform trend of higher IgG reactivity both to the single proteins and the O. volvulus lysate. Sera derived from L. sigmodontis-infected mice and from calves exposed to O. ochengi transmission in a hyperendemic area also contained IgM and IgG1 specific for O. volvulus-derived recombinant proteins. These results strongly suggest that L. sigmodontis-specific and O. ochengi-specific immunoglobulins elicited during natural infection of mice and cattle cross-reacted with O. volvulus-derived recombinant antigens. Monitoring O. ochengi-infected calves over a 26-month period, provided a comprehensive kinetic of the humoral response to infection that was strictly correlated with parasite load and occurrence of microfilariae.

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 89 , Issue 3 , May 2015 , pp. 375 - 386
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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