The role of vector saliva in transmission of vector-borne diseases

为了揭示白蛉唾液增强利什曼原虫感染的机制，制备了编码杜氏白蛉唾液优势蛋白的DNA疫苗，并对其诱导的免疫应答进行了评价。结果发现，三种唾液蛋白能有效地诱导小鼠的体液应答。由于体液免疫反应被证明会加重利什曼原虫感染，这些唾液蛋白被认为与通过宿主免疫增强感染有关。

In order to disclose the mechanism of enhancement of Leishmania infection by sand fly saliva, DNA vaccines encoding dominant salivary proteins from Phlebotomus duboscqi were prepared and immune responses induced by these antigens were assessed. As the result, three salivary proteins were found to effectively induce humoral responses in mice. Since humoral immune responses were shown to exacerbate Leishmania infection, these salivary proteins were suggested to associate with the enhancement of the infection via host immunity.