title: Protective immunization of monkeys with BCG or BCG plus heat-killed Mycobacterium leprae: clinical results.
abstract: Rhesus and sooty mangabey monkeys (RM and SMM) were vaccinated and boosted with BCG or BCG + low dose (LD) or high dose (HD) heat-killed Mycobacterium leprae (HKML). One group was not vaccinated. Except for a group of controls, all monkeys were challenged with live M. leprae. All animals were studied longitudinally to determine antileprosy protective efficacy. BCG reduced the numbers of RM with histopathologically-diagnosed leprosy by 70% and slowed and ameliorated the appearance of symptoms. BCG + LDHKML reduced the number of RM with leprosy by 89% and BCG + HDHKML by 78%. BCG did not protect SMM from developing leprosy, but disease progress was slowed; disease in SMM was exacerbated by the addition of HKML to the vaccine. RM, as a species, are prone to paucibacillary (PB) forms of leprosy, whereas SMM are prone to multibacillary (MB) forms. Thus, BCG vaccination offers significant protection from clinical disease and slows/ameliorates the rate of progression/degree of disease at the PB end and appears to at least ameliorate symptoms at the MB end of the leprosy spectrum. BCG + HKML protects at the PB end and exacerbates disease progress at the MB end of the leprosy spectrum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Tulane Regional Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Gormus
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Baskin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Bohm
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ratterree
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000097:blood; D000882:Haplorhini; D007114:Immunization / Q000379:methods*; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012984:Software; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D006017:Glycolipids; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated; C045169:phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae