Figure 4.

Schistosoma mansoni Cathepsin B (Sm-Cathepsin B) alone and Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG: parasite killing after the depletion of different cell populations. Sixty mechanically transformed schistosomula were incubated 24 h at 37°C, 5% CO₂. Lung cells were collected from the different immunized mouse groups: saline, CpG dinucleotides, Sm-Cathepsin B, and Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG. The different depletions and comparisons were as follows: (A) parasite killing was analyzed for all groups after CD4 cell depletion; saline n = 10, CpG. n = 10, Sm-Cathepsin B n = 10, Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG n = 14. In addition, parasite killing was compared between Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG CD45⁺CD4⁻ and Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG CD45⁺CD4⁺ (n = 14). (B) Parasite killing was analyzed for all groups after CD8 cell depletion; n = 5 for all groups. In addition, parasite killing was compared between Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG CD45⁺CD8⁻ and Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG CD45⁺CD8⁺ (n = 14). (C) Parasite killing was analyzed for all groups after F4/80 cell depletion; saline n = 7, CpG n = 7, Sm-Cathepsin B n = 7, Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG n = 11. In addition, parasite killing was compared between Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG CD45⁺F4/80⁻ and Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG CD45⁺F4/80⁺ (n = 14). (D) Parasite killing was analyzed for all groups after CD49b cell depletion; saline n = 7, CpG n = 7, Sm-Cathepsin B n = 7, Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG n = 11. In addition, parasite killing was compared between Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG CD45⁺CD49b⁻ and Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG CD45⁺CD49b⁺ (n = 14). ns: not significant, p > 0.05, *p ≤ 0.05, **p ≤ 0.01, ***p ≤ 0.001. The brown columns represent data from the saline group post depletion. The yellow columns represent data from the CpG adjuvant group post depletion. The green columns represent data from the Sm-Cathepsin B group post depletion. The red columns represent data from the Sm-Cathepsin B + CpG group post depletion. The single red checkered columns represent the undepleted Sm-CathepsinB + CpG sample for the immune serum + cells culture condition.