Ascaris suum antigens incorporated into liposomes used to stimulate protection to migrating larvae

Four- to 8-week-old SPF pigs were immunized, using antigens of Ascaris suum incorporated into liposomes, via intestinal cannula or orally. Avridine was also incorporated in the liposomes in one experiment and interleukin-2 (IL-2) injected into pigs in another experiment. A priming dose of embryonate eggs (80-470 eggs/pig) were given in four of six experiments. Compared to control animals, the greatest protection of pigs to migrating ascarid larvae from a challenge dose of 10,000 embryonated eggs occurred where pigs received (1) a priming dose of eggs plus second-stage ascarid larval wall incorporated into liposomes, with or without avridine or IL-2, or (2) a priming dose of eggs plus ascarid intestinal aminopeptidase incorporated into liposomes with IL-2. The degree of protection was not statistically significant due, in part, to the variability in the responses of animals in the same treatment groups and the small number of animals per group. In general, only low titers of specific serum antibodies were detected and specific antibodies were not detected in the intestinal washing.