Observation on the induction of autoimmunity and immune tolerance in mice vaccinated with DNA vaccine pcDNA3/SjSDISP of Schistosoma japonicum / 中国人兽共患病学报

ABSTRACT

To determine the possibility whether DNA vaccines pcDNA3/SjSDISP of Schistosoma japonicum to induce autoimmunity and immune tolerance in the vaccinated mice, the titer of the specific antibodies against SjSDISP and the production of the autoimmune antibodies, such as presence of anti-nuclear and anti-dsDNA antibodies in the vaccinated mice were detected by ELISA assay and the toxicity of the plasmid DNA was studied through the observation of the change in body weight and the pathological examination of the major organs in mice. It was found that the titer of the specific antibody against SjSDISP was 1∶400 as determined by ELISA, but no autoimmune antibody could detected. The difference of the body weight of mice between the experimental and the control groups was not significant. No abnormal results of histopathological examination were obtained in both groups. From these observations, it is clear that there is no evidence to show that DNA vaccine pcDNA3/SjSDISP can induce auto-immunity and immune tolerance in mice.