title: T-cell recognition of the 18-kilodalton antigen of Mycobacterium leprae.
abstract: The 18-kilodalton (kDa) antigen of Mycobacterium leprae was expressed as a fusion protein with a 2-kDa leader peptide and used in proliferation assays with peripheral blood cells. Fifty percent of untreated tuberculoid leprosy patients and 93% of long-term leprosy contacts responded to the recombinant protein in lymphocyte transformation tests. Comparison of the stimulation indices in the two groups showed that the contacts responded more strongly than the tuberculoid leprosy patients. Seventy percent of Mycobacterium bovis BCG-vaccinated European donors responded, although with low stimulation indices. The isolation of 18-kDa antigen-responsive T-cell lines from a BCG-vaccinated British donor confirmed that the 18-kDa antigen contains at least one cross-reactive epitope. These results indicate that the 18-kDa protein is an important antigen in the immune response to leprosy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Dockrell
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Stoker
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: N F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Jouy
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: McAdam
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D002469:Cell Separation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000276:immunology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013010:Sonication; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins