Heat shock proteins (hsp) were identified in many infectious agents as immunodominant antigens with a protective effect. Immunization of laboratory animals by selected representants of hsp60, hsp70 and hsp90 isolated from several pathogens induced protective host immunity and significantly reduced clinical manifestation of infection. The present study involves preparation of a recombinant protein vaccine and a DNA vaccine. Both vaccines were derived from the hsp60 of the dermatophyte, Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Challenge trials with evaluation of the protective effect of vaccination were performed on calves and guinea-pigs. Both vaccination procedures reduced, in statistically significant fashion, the clinical course of skin mycosis in calves experimentally inoculated with the dermatophyte, T. mentagrophytes. In experiments with guinea-pigs, increased protection was only seen with DNA vaccination. After DNA vaccine application, no paravaccination side-effects (granulomas at the injection site, changed total state of the animal) were observed. Only vaccination with the recombinant protein in calf's experiment induced specific serum antibodies. This observation indicates that antibodies are not associated with protection. In summary, DNA vaccine hsp60 is the most promising for prevention of bovine trichophytosis.

Department of Immunology Faculty of Medicine Palacky University in Olomouc Olomouc Czech Republic

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Quantitative real-time PCR study on persistence of pDNA vaccine pVax-Hsp60 TM814 in beef muscles