Paramyosin: a candidate vaccine antigen against Schistosoma japonicum

Paramyosin, a 97 kDa myofibrillar protein, is a candidate vaccine antigen for prevention of infection with the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni . To determine if paramyosin would also induce protection against Schistosoma japonicum , paramyosin was biochemically purified from S. japonicum adult worms. SDS-PAGE demonstrated a single protein with a molecular weight of 97 kDa. In four separate experiments, vaccination of mice with S. japonicum paramyosin without adjuvant induced significant resistance (62%–86%, P < 0.001) against cercarial challenge as compared to controls. These data suggest that S. japonicum paramyosin may represent a candidate vaccine for immunization against schistosomiasis japonica.