English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Background  Despite considerable efforts, a suitable vaccine against  Onchocerca volvulus  infection has remained elusive. Herein, we report on the use of molecular tools to identify and characterize  O. volvulus  antigens that are possibly associated with the development of concomitant immunity in onchocerciasis.    Methodology/Principal Findings  Third-stage larvae (L3) and molting L3 (mL3)  O. volvulus  stage-specific cDNA libraries were screened with a pool of sera from chronically infected patients who had likely developed such immunity. The 87 immunoreactive clones isolated were grouped into 20 distinct proteins of which 12 had already been cloned and/or characterized before and 4 had been proven to be protective in a small  O. volvulus  animal model. One of these, onchocystatin ( Ov -CPI-2), a previously characterized  O. volvulus  cysteine proteinase inhibitor was, overall, the most abundant clone recognized by the immune sera in both the L3 and mL3 cDNA libraries. To further characterize its association with protective immunity, we measured the IgG subclass and IgE class specific responses to the antigen in putatively immune (PI) and infected (INF) individuals living in a hyperendemic area in Cameroon. It appeared that both groups had similar IgG3 and IgE responses to the antigen, but the INF had significantly higher IgG1 and IgG4 responses than the PI individuals ( p <0.05). In the INF group, the IgG3 levels increased significantly with the age of the infected individuals (r = 0.241;  p <0.01). The IgG1 responses in the INF were high regardless of age. Notably, culturing L3  in vitro  in the presence of anti- Ov -CPI-2 monospecific human antibodies and naïve neutrophils resulted in almost complete inhibition of molting of L3 to L4 and to cytotoxicity to the larvae.    Conclusions/Significance  These results add to the knowledge of protective immunity in onchocerciasis and support the possible involvement of anti- Ov -CPI-2 IgG1 and/or IgG3 cytophilic antibodies in the development of protective immunity in the PI and the INF. The results further support the consideration of  Ov -CPI-2 as a leading target for an anti-L3 vaccine.

The Onchocerca volvulus Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitor, Ov-CPI-2, Is a Target of Protective Antibody Response That Increases with Age