Identification of immunogenic epitopes of the 170-kDa subunit adhesin of Entamoeba histolytica in patients with invasive amebiasis.

Entamoeba histolytica causes amebic dysentery (AD) and liver abscess (ALA). Little is known about protective immunity to amebiasis, and studies in this area have been complicated by the paucity of defined ameba antigens. We examined the proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with AD and ALA to a recombinant protein containing a portion of the 170 kDa adhesin of E. histolytica (170CR), and to two synthetic peptides (1 and 2) derived from the 170 kDa sequence that were predicted to contain T cell epitopes. A significant number of patients with AD and ALA had PBMC that proliferated to 170CR molecule, and several individuals with ALA and AD had T cells that recognized one or both peptides. Contrarily, individuals from a non-endemic region for amebiasis did not respond to 170CR protein, or to both peptides. In regard to antibody response, nine of fifteen patients with ALA showed antibodies to 170CR protein. These same patients had antibodies to peptide 2. We identified peptides from 170-kDa adhesin that may contain both T and B cell epitopes recognized by some patients with invasive amebiasis. These peptides may be valuable reagents in studies of the immune response to amebiasis.