Differential T and B cell responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis heparin-binding hemagglutinin adhesin in infected healthy individuals and patients with tuberculosis.
Because only 10% of individuals infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis will eventually develop disease, antigens that are recognized differently by the immune systems of infected healthy and diseased subjects may constitute potential vaccine candidates. Here, the heparin-binding hemagglutinin adhesin (HBHA) is identified as such an antigen. Lymphocytes from 60% of healthy infected individuals (n=25) produced interferon (IFN)-gamma after stimulation with HBHA, compared with only 4% of patients with active tuberculosis (n=24). In the responders, both CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells secreted HBHA-specific IFN-gamma, and the antigen was presented by both major histocompatibility complex class I and II molecules. In contrast to the reduced ability of patients with tuberculosis to produce HBHA-specific IFN-gamma, most of them (82%) produced anti-HBHA antibodies, compared with 36% of the infected healthy subjects. These observations indicate that HBHA is recognized differently by the immune systems of patients with tuberculosis and infected healthy individuals and might provide a marker for protection against tuberculosis.
Masungi
Chantal
C
Laboratory of Immunology, Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
Temmerman
Stéphane
S
Van Vooren
Jean-Paul
JP
Drowart
Annie
A
Pethe
Kevin
K
Menozzi
Franco D
FD
Locht
Camille
C
Mascart
Françoise
F
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000502:physiology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D037102:Lectins; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D037102:Lectins; C104578:heparin-binding hemagglutinin; D007371:Interferon-gamma