title: Comparison of thermostable macromolecular antigens from leprosy-associated bacteria.
abstract: Three types of bacteria are associated with leprosy: Mycobacterium leprae, leprosy-derived corynebacteria (LDC), and armadillo-derived mycobacteria (ADM). The immunological relationships between these three types of bacteria and Mycobacterium bovis BCG, used as a reference, were determined by cross-immunoelectrophoresis. When compared with the reference, cross-reactions were observed with a variable number of antigens: 2 in the case of strain LDC 15, 4 with M. leprae, and from 1 to 10 in the case of the ADM, depending on their subgroup. Next, thermostable macromolecular antigens (TMAs), the major cross-reactive antigens of leprosy-associated bacteria, were compared by anti-TMA antibody ELISA tests. The LDC TMAs displayed high cross-reactivity between the subgroups and lower cross-reactivity with the TMAs of M. bovis BCG. Evidence for the presence of a species-specific moiety in TMA of the different LDC was obtained by using depleted anti-TMA antisera. Western blot analysis revealed the presence of many proteins in the TMAs of LDC and M. bovis BCG, some of them being species-specific and other cross-reactive.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Genetics Unit, University of Louvain, Medical School, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Baelden
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bouckaert
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grégoire
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van de Poele
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coene
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000276:immunology*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000737:chemistry; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial