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Biomedical subjects

P Millet

Publications and source records attributed to P Millet.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

[Leprosy. Developmental modalities].

The very broad clinical spectrum of the Mycobacterium leprae infection is due to the diversity of the underlying immunological and genetic factors. The evolutive modalities of leprosy are mainly determined by a dual pathogenesis: An infectious disease due to a bacillus of low virulence which, even when dead, persists in the body for several years, independently of the antibiotic therapy prescribed. A dysimmune disease maintained by a chronic discharge of antigens. Neuropathies and leprous reactions are still the most troublesome episodes in the course of the disease. They constitute the principal prognostic factor in both pauci- and multibacillary forms of leprosy.

Humans↗
PubMed1992

Inhibitory activity against sporozoites induced by antibodies directed against nonrepetitive regions of the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium vivax.

In previous studies, Saimiri sciureus boliviensis monkeys have been immunized with four recombinant proteins reproducing part of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein of Plasmodium vivax sporozoites (NS1(81) V20, rPvCS-1, rPvCS-2, rPv-CS-3), or with irradiated sporozoites of P. vivax Salvador I strain. To analyze the antibody response elicited against epitopes located outside the immunodominant repeat region of the CS protein, serum samples from these animals were tested for their ability to inhibit the in vitro development of liver stages of P. vivax VK247 strain, characterized from the other strains only by a specific repeat region on the CS protein. Results indicated that there is at least one protective B-cell epitope outside the repeat region of the CS protein of P. vivax sporozoites, and that this epitope can be expressed by irradiated sporozoites, rPvCS-1 and -3, but not by rPvCS-1 or NS1(81)V20. Therefore, we designed peptides from the amino acid sequences present both in rPvCS-2 and -3, but not included in the recombinant proteins rPvCS-1 and NS1(81)V20. Anti-peptide antibodies had no activity on the development of sporozoites of P. vivax Salvador I strain, into schizonts in primary culture of Saimiri monkey hepatocytes. In addition, antisporozoite antibodies did not react with any of the peptides. These results suggest that the in vitro inhibition observed in this study could depend upon the conformation of the CS protein. This study also demonstrates that antibody response to unnatural linear epitopes can be induced by immunization with recombinant proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

A monoclonal antibody directed against the sporozoite stage of Plasmodium vivax binds to liver parenchymal cells.

The circumsporozoite (CS) protein of malaria parasites is a major surface protein of the sporozoite stage. In the process of investigating the immunogenicity of this protein in the Plasmodium vivax complex, we found that a monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against the CS protein of isolates of P. vivax recognizes New World monkey hepatocytes and human hepatoma cells HepG2A16 in Western blot and by immunoelectron microscopy. The mAb NVS3 binds to the amino acid sequence AGDR, which is also shared with the alpha 3 domain of the human and primate major histocompatibility complex class I. In addition, in vitro experiments suggest that the binding of the mAb NVS3 to hepatocytes from Saimiri monkey enhances the invasion or development of malaria sporozoites. These results form the basis for investigating the relationships between parasite surface proteins and host-cell receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Effect of adjuvant formulations on the selection of B-cell epitopes expressed by a malaria peptide vaccine.

Because subunit vaccines may create artificial epitopes, the goal of this study was to concentrate the immune response toward protective epitopes contained in a peptide, [(NAGG)5]Y. This peptide consisted of five repeat sequences of the immunodominant epitope of the circumsporozoite protein of the simian malaria parasite Plasmodium cynomolgi and a terminal tyrosine. It was conjugated to bovine serum albumin and mixed with various adjuvant formulations, including block copolymers L121, L141, L180.5 and a lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Outbred mice were vaccinated with seven vaccine formulations. Postvaccination sera from each group of mice were then pooled, and antibody responses against peptide [(NAGG)5]Y or (NAGG)5 were tested in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and against sporozoites of P. cynomolgi in an indirect fluorescent antibody assay. Although all groups elicited a high antibody response to the peptide [(NAGG)5Y], the presence of the tyrosine induced a different antibody response to the peptide (NAGG)5, and formulations containing LPS alone did not induce an antibody response to either (NAGG)5 or P. cynomolgi sporozoites. The formulation including both LPS and the copolymer L121 was the only one to inhibit the development of P. cynomolgi sporozoites in rhesus monkey hepatocytes by 50%. These results suggest that vaccine formulations influence B-cell epitope selection.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Reinforcement of immunity in Saimiri monkeys following immunization with irradiated sporozoites of Plasmodium vivax.

To determine the duration of immunity to Plasmodium vivax following immunization, six Saimiri sciureus boliviensis monkeys were vaccinated with irradiated sporozoites of P. vivax and challenged multiple times with sporozoites. Over a period of almost four years, complete protection from repeated challenge with infective sporozoites was demonstrated in one monkey; protection in two monkeys was obtained on eight of nine occasions, in one monkey on seven of nine occasions, in one monkey on six or nine occasions, and in one monkey on four of eight occasions. Five of six monkeys were protected against infection during the last six challenges. Inoculation with blood-stage parasites at the end of the trial indicated that all animals were susceptible to infection. These results suggest that protection against sporozoite challenge may be strongly reinforced by subsequent exposure to viable sporozoites.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Inability of malaria vaccine to induce antibodies to a protective epitope within its sequence.

Saimiri monkeys immunized with a recombinant protein containing 20 copies of the nine amino acid repeat of the Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite (CS) protein developed high concentrations of antibodies to the repeat sequence and to sporozoites, but were not protected against challenge. After intravenous injection of an immunoglobulin G3 monoclonal antibody (NVS3) against irradiated P. vivax sporozoites, four of six monkeys were protected against sporozoite-induced malaria, and the remaining two animals took significantly longer to become parasitemic. Epitope mapping demonstrated that NVS3 recognizes only four (AGDR) of the nine amino acids within the repeat region of the P. vivax CS protein. The monkeys immunized with (DRAADGQPAG)20 did not produce antibodies to the protective epitope AGDR. Thus, determination of the fine specificity of protective immune responses may be critical to the construction of successful subunit vaccines.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Plasmodium cynomolgi: immunization of a rhesus monkey with exoerythrocytic stages cultured in autologous hepatocytes.

To investigate the immune response to exoerythrocytic stages of malaria parasites, a rhesus monkey was immunized with autologous primary hepatocyte cultures infected with 7-day-old liver stage parasites of Plasmodium cynomolgi. A primary antibody response against EE stage antigens was obtained, and boosted after injection of homologous viable sporozoites. Antibodies directed against sporozoites and blood stages were also detected. The polyvalent immune response observed demonstrates the antigenicity of the liver stages and suggests their involvement in the general immune response against malaria.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Strain specificity in the liver-stage development of Plasmodium falciparum in primary cultures of new world monkey hepatocytes.

Primary cultures of Aotus and Saimiri monkey hepatocytes were infected with sporozoites of the Plasmodium falciparum NF 54 strain from mosquitoes fed on gametocyte cultures, and with sporozoites of the P. falciparum Santa Lucia strain from mosquitoes fed on an infected Aotus monkey. After 4-8 days, one exoerythrocytic (EE) parasite per 30,000 sporozoites was detected in one of three experiments performed with the P. falciparum NF54 strain. However, numerous EE parasites were detected in Aotus and Saimiri cells infected with sporozoites of the P. falciparum Santa Lucia strain. At day 6, most of the parasites contained several hundred nuclei, and were morphologically similar to those previously described in vivo using light or electron microscopy. A monoclonal antibody directed against the repeat region of the circumsporozoite protein of P. falciparum labeled the plasma and parasitophorous vacuole membrane of five-day-old EE parasites by immunoelectron microscopy, thus supporting previous observations by immunofluorescence indicating that the CS protein persists throughout the EE development of P. falciparum. These results demonstrate that liver stages of P. falciparum can be obtained in Aotus and Saimiri monkey cells, they also suggest a parasite strain specificity for hepatocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Inhibitory activity against Plasmodium vivax sporozoites induced by plasma from Saimiri monkeys immunized with circumsporozoite recombinant proteins or irradiated sporozoites.

Two Saimiri monkey vaccine trials have been conducted comparing four recombinant Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite proteins and irradiated sporozoites. Only a small number of animals immunized with certain recombinants or irradiated sporozoites became fully protected against sporozoite challenge. Preimmunization and postimmunization plasma samples obtained from 30 monkeys on the day of challenge were tested in an in vitro assay based on sporozoite development into exoerythrocytic stages in primary cultures of Saimiri monkey hepatocytes. The percentage of inhibition was determined by comparison of the number of exoerythrocytic stages developing from sporozoites preincubated with a preimmunization and a postimmunization plasma sample of each animal. The plasma samples of the day of challenge of nearly all the immunized animals had a variable, but significant inhibitory effect, when compared with the corresponding preimmunization sample. We found no correlation between the degree of in vitro inhibition of liver stage development, and the in vivo protection against sporozoite challenge of individual animals. The variable results of the incubation of sporozoites with "normal" plasma of different animals indicates that the in vitro results were affected by plasma factors unrelated to anti-sporozoite antibodies.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Use of non-human primate hepatocytes for in vitro study of the pre-erythrocytic stages of malaria parasites.

Methods were developed that allow invasion of sporozoites from simian malaria parasite species (Plasmodium cynomolgi, P. knowlesi, P. coatneyi, P. inui, P. gonderi, P. fragile) and development to schizont stages in rhesus and Saimiri monkey hepatocytes. The P. cynomolgi-rhesus monkey model was used to study inhibition of schizont development using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) produced against the circumsporozoite (CS) protein of various strains and species of malaria parasites. Immunoelectron microscopy, using gold-labelled MAbs and cultured parasites, demonstrated that the CS protein persists in 7-day old liver stages of P. cynomolgi, but is not expressed at the surface of infected hepatocytes. A rhesus monkey was immunized with autologous hepatocytes (collected by biopsy) infected in vitro with liver stages of P. cynomolgi. This immunization elicited antibodies reacting with sporozoite, liver stage, and blood-stage parasites. In addition, human malaria parasites (P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae) have been cultured in Saimiri or rhesus monkey hepatocytes. The P. vivax-Saimiri monkey model was used to study inhibition activity of sera from Saimiri monkeys experimentally immunized with recombinant P. vivax CS proteins. Post-immunization sera inhibited the parasite development, thus demonstrating the induction of antibodies effective against sporozoites. No relationship, however, was detected between in vitro inhibition and in vivo protection or antibody titres determined by ELISA or IFA.

Animals↗