ImmunogenicityofMHC ClassIPeptidesDerivedfrom LeishmaniamexicanaGp63 inHLA -A2.1Transgenic(HHDII) andBALB/C Mouse Models

Background:Leishmaniais an intracellular parasite infecting humans and many wild and domestic animals. Recent studies have suggested an important role for cytotoxic T cells against Leishmania. Peptide-based vaccines targeting short sequences derived from known immu nogenic proteins have been shown to elicit cellular immune responses against disparate pathogens. Methods:We predicted four HLA-A2 peptides derived from L. mexican/major gp63 and tested these in HHD II mice, as well as four peptides for mouse MHC class I from the same proteins tested in BALB/ mice. Results:The results revealed immunogenicity for three of the four peptides predicted for HLA -A2.