Schistosoma mansoni in the baboon: modulation of pathology after vaccination with polyclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies.

Vaccination of five baboons with an anti-idiotypic vaccine to irradiated Schistosoma mansoni cercariae resulted in nearly 19% protection compared to 39% protection conferred to five baboons vaccinated with an irradiated vaccine. Vaccination with the anti-idiotypic antibodies resulted in a significant reduction of pathology and granuloma size following challenge with live unattenuated cercariae. Results presented in this work are considered highly significant because the anti-idiotypic vaccine markedly influenced schistosomiasis morbidity which is the main consideration in this disease.