Protective immunity against Trypanosoma cruzi infection in a highly susceptible mouse strain after vaccination with genes encoding the amastigote surface protein-2 and trans-sialidase

Protective immunity against lethal infection is developed when BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice are immunized with plasmids containing genes from the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. However, genetic vaccination of the highly susceptible mouse strain A/Sn promoted limited survival after challenge. This observation questioned whether this type of vaccination would be appropriate for highly susceptible individuals. Here, we compared the protective efficacy and the immune response after individual or combined genetic vaccination of A/Sn mice with genes encoding trans-sialidase (TS) or the amastigote surface protein-2 (ASP-2). After challenge, a significant proportion of A/Sn mice immunized with either the asp-2 gene or simultaneously with asp-2 and ts genes, survived infection. In contrast, the vast majority of mice immunized with the ts gene or the vector alone died. Parasitological and histological studies performed in the surviving mice revealed that these mice harbored parasites; however, minimal inflammatory responses were seen in heart and striated muscle. We used this model to search for an in vitro correlation for protection. We found that protective immunity correlated with a higher secretion of interferon-gamma by spleen cells on in vitro restimulation with ASP-2 and the presence of ASP-2-specific CD8 cells. Depletion of either CD4 or CD8 or both T-cell subpopulations prior to the challenge rendered the mice susceptible to infection demonstrating the critical contribution of both cell types in protective immunity. Our results reinforce the prophylactic potential of genetic vaccination with asp-2 and ts genes by describing protective immunity against lethal T. cruzi infection and chronic tissue pathology in a highly susceptible mouse strain.