Cell-wall alterations as an attribute of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in latent infection.
Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining is the key technique for diagnosis of mycobacterial infections; however, a high percentage of patients exhibit positive signs of tuberculosis, as indicated by pathology, culture of mycobacteria, and polymerase chain-reaction analysis, and yet show negative results on ZN staining. In this report we present evidence that such ZN-negative specimens represent Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli in a dormant state with distinct cell-wall alterations: the classical cell-wall composition-dependent ZN staining of M. tuberculosis in lung sections gradually discontinued with persistence of infection, both in mice and in human patients; in contrast, detection of mycobacteria by cell-wall composition-independent staining using a polyclonal anti-M. bovis Bacille-Calmette-Guérin serum continued with persistence of infection. These findings have important implications for diagnosis, as well as for both chemotherapy and development of vaccine strategies.'
Seiler
Peter
P
Max-Planck-Institut für Infektionsbiologie, Berlin, Germany.
Ulrichs
Timo
T
Bandermann
Silke
S
Pradl
Lydia
L
Jörg
Sabine
S
Krenn
Veit
V
Morawietz
Lars
L
Kaufmann
Stefan H E
SH
Aichele
Peter
P
D000818:Animals; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000382:microbiology*
D001500:BCG Vaccine; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; C006898:carbol-fuchsin solution