Immune Response and Protective Efficacy of a Heterologous DNA-Protein Immunization with Leishmania Superoxide Dismutase B1

Figure 8

Footpad swelling of mice immunized with antigens and controls in DNA/protein immunization strategy and infected with L. major. BALB/c mice (five per group) were immunized twice with DNA antigens and controls in the presence of CpG ODN adjuvant followed by a boost with recombinant LdLdFeSODB1 protein. All immunizations were given in three-week intervals. At week 9, all mice were infected on the footpad with subcutaneous injection of 3 × 10⁶ stationary phase L. major promastigotes in the hind footpad. The footpad swelling was assessed by measuring the thickness of infected footpad weekly for eight weeks using electronic digital caliper. The data represents mean footpad size in millimetre of five mice and standard error of the mean. Asterisks indicate statistically significant difference in footpad swelling between antigen immunized mice and controls ().