Effects of immunization with the rNfa1 protein on experimental Naegleria fowleri-PAM mice

Summary Free-living Naegleria fowleri causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in humans and animals. To examine the effect of immunization with Nfa1 protein on experimental murine PAM because of N. fowleri, BALB/c mice were intra-peritoneally or intra-nasally immunized with a recombinant Nfa1 protein. We analysed Nfa1-specific antibody and cytokine induction, and the mean survival time of infected mice. Mice immunized intra-peritoneally or intra-nasally with rNfa1 protein developed specific IgG, IgA and IgE antibodies; the IgG response was dominated by IgG1, followed by IgG2b, IgG2a and IgG3. High levels of the Th1 cytokine, IFN-γ, and the regulatory cytokine, IL-10, were also induced. The mean survival time of mice immunized intra-peritoneally with rNfa1 protein was prolonged compared with controls, (25·0 and 15·5 days, respectively). Similarly, the mean survival time of mice immunized intra-nasally with rNfa1 protein was 24·7 days, compared with 15·0 days for controls.