Immunization with Pneumocystis carinii A12(1–85) antigen activates immune function against P. carinii

BACKGROUND: Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP), which is caused by Pneumocystis carinii, is a life-threatening infection that affects immunocompromised individuals. Unfortunately, chemoprophylaxis and dapsone are only effective for half of the patients with PcP, indicating that additional preventive methods are needed. We predicated the pneumocystis surface protein A12 sequence 1–85 by DNAStar software and BepiPred, and identified it as a potential vaccine candidate by bioresearch. METHODS: We used recombinant A12(1–85) as antigen to immunized mice and detected serum titer of IgG, expression of inflammatory factors by EILSA, qRT-PCR and flow cytometry. RESULTS: Our results showed that immunization with recombinant A12(1–85) increased the serum titer of IgG, promoted the secretion of T lymphocytes, increased the expression of inflammatory factors, and elevated lung inflammatory injury in mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that A12(1–85) is a potential vaccine target for preventing Pneumocystis carinii. The evaluation of A12(1–85)-elicited antibodies in the prevention of PcP in humans deserves further investigation. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12865-021-00436-6.