Mycoplasma penetrans infections and seroconversion in patients with AIDS: identification of major mycoplasmal antigens targeted by host antibody response.
We examined Mycoplasma penetrans-specific antibodies in sera of five male homosexual AIDS patients from whom M. penetrans was isolated during the disease process. No consistent immune reaction pattern could be recognized in Western blot using whole cell proteins. Serum samples obtained prior to M. penetrans isolation reacted with a number of M. penetrans proteins, most likely due to non-specific cross-reactions. Further analysis revealed that patients produced prominent antibody reaction to lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) of M. penetrans at the time of mycoplasma isolation, which could not be observed for serum samples obtained prior to M. penetrans isolation. The positive antibody reaction was mainly directed against two major LAMPs of M. penetrans with molecular mass of 35 and 38 kDa and produced a distinctive pattern of positive immunoreaction bands. Our observation suggested that, comparing with whole mycoplasmal proteins, LAMPs were more specific target antigens in serological assays for M. penetrans infection.
Lo
Shyh-Ching
SC
Department of Environmental and Infectious Disease Sciences, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Building 54, Room 4091, 14th Street and Alaska Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20306, USA. los@afip.osd.mil
Wang
Richard Y-H
RY
Grandinetti
Teresa
T
Zou
Nianxiang
N
Hayes
Michael M
MM
Shih
Jim W-K
JW
Wear
Douglas J
DJ
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000097:blood*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000097:blood*; D018661:Mycoplasma penetrans / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins