title: The 38-kDa protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a review.
abstract: This review illustrates that the 38-kDa protein is one of the most important antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is actively secreted but partly attached to the surface of the mycobacterial cell by a lipid tail that may also be responsible for binding of carbohydrate to the protein. It is a major constituent of M. tuberculosis culture fluid after growth on the synthetic Sauton medium and occurs in bacille Calmette-Guérin in far lower concentrations. The protein induces B and T cell responses with high specificity for infection with M. tuberculosis and is a prime candidate for development of new diagnostic reagents for tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harboe
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Wiker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; C016603:Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen 5; D014373:Tuberculin