The protective effect of a Schistosoma japonicum Chinese strain 23 kDa plasmid DNA vaccine in pigs is enhanced with IL-12.

The schistosome integral membrane protein Sm/Sj23 was initially shown to induce protection in mice as a synthetic peptide vaccine and further, as a plasmid DNA vaccine to induce protection in mice, sheep and water buffalo. In this study we asked if we could induce protection against challenge infection in pigs against Schistosoma japonicum by vaccinating them with a plasmid DNA vaccine encoding the S. japonicum Chinese strain 23 kDa membrane protein. Further, we asked if we could enhance protective efficacy of this vaccine by the addition of IL-12. We compared vaccination with SjC23 plasmid DNA alone or with IL-12 plasmid DNA in pigs. Pigs were immunized three times at three weekly intervals. Thirty Chinese Songjang native pigs were divided into three groups. In group A, each pig was immunized with 500 microg of SjC23 plasmid DNA by intramuscular (i.m.) injection in both buttocks. In group B each pig was immunized with 500 microg of SjC23 plasmid DNA, and 500 microg of each of pcDNA3.1-p35 and 500 microg of pcDNA3.1-p40 DNA by i.m. injection. In group C each pig was immunized with 500 microg of pcDNA3.1 as the control. Thirty days post-vaccination, pigs were challenged with S. japonicum cercariae and adult and egg burdens and granuloma size determined 45 days post-challenge. The results showed that worm reduction rates in SjC23 group compared with control group were 29.2% and in the SjC23 + IL-12 group reduced 58.6%. Similarly the female worm reduction rates were 50.8 and 58.8%, the hepatic egg reduction rates were 48.2 and 56.4%, and the mean square measure reduction rates of hepatic egg granulomas were 48.6 and 44.4%, the mean diameter reduction rates of granulomas were 27.6 and 22.8% in pigs vaccinated with SjC23 or SjC23 + IL-12 compared to plasmid vaccinated pigs, respectively. Analysis of sera from pigs vaccinated with SjC23 showed that 4 of 10 pigs had anti-Sj23 antibody responses; with 5 of 10 pigs positive for anti-Sj23 in the SjC23+IL-12 group. These results suggest that vaccination with Sj23 DNA vaccine induces not only a significant reduction in worm and egg burdens, but also significantly reduces the size of egg granulomas, thus is also anti-pathology.