title: Identification of Mycobacterium leprae antigens in tissues of leprosy patients using monoclonal antibodies.
abstract: Five monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against antigens of Mycobacterium leprae were tested for their ability to bind to components of tissue sections prepared from biopsies taken from patients with various forms of leprosy. Immunoperoxidase was the most successful marker system used, although immunofluorescence and alkaline phosphatase were also successful in certain cases. Positivity was high with all five antibodies successfully staining those sections containing a bacterial index of 3+ or more; sections with 0 bacterial counts also had areas staining positively with two of the MAbs. The positive staining in the tissues was confined to areas infiltrated by inflammatory cells; however it was not identifiable as being associated with individual bacteria. These findings suggest that immunostaining with specific monoclonal antibodies can help to identify leprosy in diagnostic samples in which acid-fast bacilli are not identifiable by standard histochemical means. Immunohistochemical techniques are likely to be valuable in studies of the distribution of M. leprae antigens and their association with individual tissue elements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U.K.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Khanolkar
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Mackenzie
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hussen
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Girdhar
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katoch
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: McAdam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase