| dc.description.abstract | Schistosomal vaccine candidates such as Paramyosin and Multiple antigen epitopes
(MAP) are in different stages of development and clinical trials. However, it is probable
that during initial field clinical trials, some people may have been exposed to cercariae
and become infected or re-infected. Among the infected, some people may have used
anti schistosome drugs. Consequently, an animal model study was sought to elucidate
the effects of administering a 20Krad radiation-attenuated vaccine before or after
praziquantel treatment in Schistosome infected BALB/c. This vaccine model is not
therapeutic but acts as both anti-worm and anti-fecundity vaccine. Mice were randomly
grouped as follows: Mice in group A, were infected, treated, vaccinated and
challenged; Mice in group B, were infected, vaccinated, treated and challenged; mice in
group C, were vaccinated, treated and challenged; Mice in group D,: were given oral
dose of praziquantel, and infected; Mice in group E, were only infected. All the mice
were perfused at the end of experiment recover mature worms. Five mice from each
group were assayed per sampling point. It was found out that administering the
radiation-attenuated vaccine in BALB/c mice. before praziquantel treatment was
preferable than when the vaccine is administered after treatment. This is because
Lymphocyte proliferative responses in group B mice, were sufficient to cause effectively
'arming' of the lung, than in group A mice. Consequently, worm resistance against
challenge infection in group B mice was higher (68.9%) than group A, (41%).
However, mice in group .C~(control group) attained the highest worm resistance of
96.5%. The results also reveal that vaccination either before or after praziquantel
treatment does not interfere with hepatic granuloma development and their modulation. | en |
