RESPON ANTIBODI MANUSIA TERHADAP PROTEIN SALIVARY GLAND (SG) Aedes aegypti BERPOTENSI SEBAGAI INDIKATOR RESISTENSI TERHADAP DEMAM BERDARAH (DBD)

Abstract

Dengue Haemorraghic Fever (DHF) is an acute Flavivirus infection transmitted by several species of Aedes mosquitoes, e.g. Aedes aegypti. During blood feeding, arthropod vectors inject saliva into vertebrate hosts. The saliva is biochemically complex and pharmacologically active, and may play an important role in pathogen transmission. The aim of this research is to distinguish immune response from healthy people in endemic and nonendemic

region, and dengue patients as well. To examine whether mosquito saliva could elicit humoral immune response in humans under natural conditions, we have collected plasma from dengue patients, healthy villagers, and people from a non-dengue region around Jember (East Java). This study was a part of the project approved by the Ethical Committee of Medical Faculty of Jember University for the human subject protocol. All participants gave written, informed consent before entering the study. SDS-PAGE analysis was performed to profile the pro tein contents of the salivary glands from Ae. aegypti, which revealed a number of proteins with molecular weight ranged from ~28 to ≥142 kDa. To identify which proteins of the salivary glands are immunogenic in eliciting antibody responses in humans, we analyzed the salivary gland extracts of female Ae. aegypti by Western Blot with human plasma. Here we have demonstrated that anti-dengue salivary protein antibodies occurred predominantly in healthy people from endemic region which revealed a spesific protein with molecular weight ~ 37 kDa, whereas people from a nondengue

region had no such antibodies. These immunogenic salivary protein may serve well as an indicator of immune respone in human. Furthermore, these protein may be excellent candidates for the development of dengue vaccine. Therefore, the extend molecular activity and identification of ~ 37 kDa protein should be further investigated.