Vaccination with Recombinant Microneme Proteins Confers Protection against Experimental Toxoplasmosis in Mice

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is an important public health problem and veterinary concern. Although there is no vaccine for human toxoplasmosis, many attempts have been made to develop one. Promising vaccine candidates utilize proteins, or their genes, from microneme organelle of T. gondii that are involved in the initial stages of host cell invasion by the parasite. In the present study, we used different recombinant microneme proteins (TgMIC1, TgMIC4, or TgMIC6) or combinations of these proteins (TgMIC1-4 and TgMIC1-4-6) to evaluate the immune response and protection against experimental toxoplasmosis in C57BL/6 mice. Vaccination with recombinant TgMIC1, TgMIC4, or TgMIC6 alone conferred partial protection, as demonstrated by reduced brain cyst burden and mortality rates after challenge. Immunization with TgMIC1-4 or TgMIC1-4-6 vaccines provided the most effective protection, since 70% and 80% of mice, respectively, survived to the acute phase of infection. In addition, these vaccinated mice, in comparison to non-vaccinated ones, showed reduced parasite burden by 59% and 68%, respectively. The protective effect was related to the cellular and humoral immune responses induced by vaccination and included the release of Th1 cytokines IFN-γ and IL-12, antigen-stimulated spleen cell proliferation, and production of antigen-specific serum antibodies. Our results demonstrate that microneme proteins are potential vaccines against T. gondii, since their inoculation prevents or decreases the deleterious effects of the infection

Gender-Based Differences in Leptinemia in Healthy Aging, Non-obese Individuals Associate with Increased Marker of Oxidative Stress

Aging associates with an increased pro-inflammatory activity that is commonly associated with oxidative tissue damage. One pro-inflammatory molecule that facilitates oxidative stress is leptin, a hormone that regulates metabolism, endocrine and immune functions. To address whether leptin levels correlated with oxidative stress in aging, we performed cross-sectional measurements of circulating plasma leptin in groups of healthy individuals that were divided by age and gender. It was found that leptin levels were comparable between young (N=54) and elderly humans (N=56) in each gender, and women had higher levels than men, irrespectively of age. Interestingly, oxidative stress measured as total glutathione levels correlated positively with elevated leptin levels in elderly women but not in men or in the groups of younger individuals. The data suggest that a gender bias for leptin that is maintained with age can associate with increased propensity to oxidative stress in the elderly

Leptin promotes systemic lupus erythematosus by increasing autoantibody production and inhibiting immune regulation

Leptin is an adipocytokine that plays a key role in the modulation of immune responses and the development and maintenance of inflammation. Circulating levels of leptin are elevated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, but it is not clear whether this association can reflect a direct influence of leptin on the propathogenic events that lead to SLE. To investigate this possibility, we compared the extent of susceptibility to SLE and lupus manifestations between leptin-deficient (ob/ob) and H2-matched leptin-sufficient (wild-type, WT) mice that had been treated with the lupus-inducing agent pristane. Leptin deficiency protected ob/ob mice from the development of autoantibodies and renal disease and increased the frequency of immunoregulatory T cells (Tregs) compared with leptin-sufficient WT mice. The role of leptin in the development of SLE was confirmed in the New Zealand Black (NZB) × New Zealand White (NZW)F1 (NZB/W) mouse model of spontaneous SLE, where elevated leptin levels correlated with disease manifestations and the administration of leptin accelerated development of autoantibodies and renal disease. Conversely, leptin antagonism delayed disease progression and increased survival of severely nephritic NZB/W mice. At the cellular level, leptin promoted effector T-cell responses and facilitated the presentation of self-antigens to T cells, whereas it inhibited the activity of regulatory CD4 T cells. The understanding of the role of leptin in modulating autoimmune responses in SLE can open possibilities of leptin-targeted therapeutic intervention in the disease