Isolation of the Mycobacterium leprae-specific glycolipid antigen, phenolic glycolipid-I, from formalin-fixed human lepromatous liver.
A Mycobacterium leprae-specific phenolic glycolipid antigen was purified from Formalin-fixed liver preserved from an advanced lepromatous leprosy patient. Its chemical and immunological properties were compared with those of phenolic glycolipid-I obtained from M. leprae-infected armadillo liver. Based on the findings that the glycolipids from the two sources have the same thin-layer chromatographic properties, infrared absorption spectrum, sugar composition, and seroreactivity, we conclude that large quantities of the phenolic glycolipid-I antigen are produced in human lepromatous leprosy lesions and that Formalin-fixed lepromatous livers and spleens from the prechemotherapeutic era are suitable sources of the glycolipid.
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001135:Armadillos; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology*; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000276:immunology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006017:Glycolipids; C045169:phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae; D005557:Formaldehyde