Reduction of Worm Fecundity and Canine Host Blood Loss Mediates Protection against Hookworm Infection Elicited by Vaccination with Recombinant Ac- 16

Abstract

ABSTRACT Hookworm infection is one of most important parasitic infection of humans, occurring in 740 million people. Here we report the protective vaccination of dogs with Ac -16, an immunodominant surface antigen from the hookworm Ancylostoma caninum . We show that immunization with Ac -16 formulated with AS03 elicited specific humoral and cellular immune responses and provided partial protection against hookworm infection and morbidity as evidenced by a significant reduction of hookworm egg counts (64% reduction; P = 0.0078) and worm-induced blood loss ( P < 0.05). Moreover, specific anti- Ac -16 antibodies recognized the native protein on the surface of third-stage larvae and blocked their migration through tissue in vitro. Our data support the use of Ac -16 as a potential candidate for vaccination against hookworm infection.