Evaluation of Th17 responses after immunization with DNA vaccine encoding Toxoplasma gondii Rhoptry13 in BALB/c mice

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular parasitic protozoan, is capable of infecting man and all warm blooded animals. Cell-mediated immunity is vital in mounting protective responses against T. gondii infection. Recent studies have shown that T-helper (Th) 17 responses may play a key role in parasite control. Materials & methods: In this current study, we constructed a DNA vaccine encoding T. gondii ROP13 in a pcDNA vector. Groups of BALB/c mice were immunized intramuscularly with pcROP13 or controls and challenged with the RH strain of T. gondii. Results: The results showed that immunization with pcROP13 could elicit an antibody response against T. gondii. The expression of the canonical Th17 cytokines, IL-17 and IL-22, were significantly increased after immunization with pcROP13 compared to control groups (P<0.05). Furthermore, vaccination resulted in a significant decrease in parasite load (P<0.05).