Antibody-dependent reductions in mouse hookworm burden after vaccination with Ancylostoma caninum secreted protein 1.

Vaccination of mice with either third-stage Ancylostoma caninum infective hookworm larvae (L3) or alum-precipitated recombinant Ancylostoma secreted protein 1 from A. caninum (Ac-ASP-1) results in protection against hookworm challenge infections. Vaccine protection is manifested by reductions in lung hookworm burdens at 48 h postchallenge. Mice actively immunized 4 times with Ac-ASP-1 also exhibited reductions in hookworm burden in the muscles. Hookworm burden reductions from Ac-ASP-1 immunization were associated with elevations in all immunoglobulin subclasses, with the greatest rise observed in host IgG1 and IgG2b. The addition of a fourth immunization resulted in even higher levels of IgG and IgE. In contrast, L3-vaccinated mice exhibited marked elevations in IgG1 and IgM, including anti-Ac-ASP-1 IgM antibody. Passive immunization with pooled sera from recombinant Ac-ASP-1-vaccinated mice also resulted in lung hookworm burden reductions. It is hypothesized that recombinant Ac-ASP-1 vaccinations elicit antibody that interferes with parasite larval migration.