title: Toward the development of diagnostic assays to discriminate between Mycobacterium bovis infection and bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination in cattle.
abstract: A scientific review of the recent sharp increase in bovine tuberculosis in Great Britain has concluded that the development of a cattle vaccine holds the best prospect for long-term disease control. It is important to develop a diagnostic test that differentiates between vaccinated and Mycobacterium bovis-infected animals, to ensure that test-and-slaughter control strategies can continue alongside vaccination. The mycobacterial antigens ESAT-6, MPB64, and MPB83 are expressed at high levels in M. bovis but are expressed at low levels or not at all in bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Pasteur. Promiscuous bovine T cell epitopes of these antigens were identified and formulated into a peptide cocktail. This cocktail and a cocktail composed of recombinant forms of the 3 antigens was able to distinguish cattle infected with virulent M. bovis from those vaccinated with BCG and from those sensitized to avian tuberculin in lymphocyte transformation and interferon-gamma assays.
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis Research Group, Bacteriology Department, Veterinary Laboratories Agency-Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, United Kingdom. mvordermeier.vla@gtnet.gov.uk.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Vordermeier
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cockle
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Whelan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hewinson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014380:Tuberculosis, Bovine / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C093276:ESAT-6 protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D007376:Interleukin-2; C080865:MPB64 protein, Mycobacterium; C094904:MPB83 protein, Mycobacterium; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma