title: Protection against Mycobacterium leprae infection by the ID83/GLA-SE and ID93/GLA-SE vaccines developed for tuberculosis.
abstract: Despite the dramatic reduction in the number of leprosy cases worldwide in the 1990s, transmission of the causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, is still occurring, and new cases continue to appear. New strategies are required in the pursuit of leprosy elimination. The cross-application of vaccines in development for tuberculosis may lead to tools applicable to elimination of leprosy. In this report, we demonstrate that the chimeric fusion proteins ID83 and ID93, developed as antigens for tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidates, elicited gamma interferon (IFN-γ) responses from both TB and paucibacillary (PB) leprosy patients and from healthy household contacts of multibacillary (MB) patients (HHC) but not from nonexposed healthy controls. Immunization of mice with either protein formulated with a Toll-like receptor 4 ligand (TLR4L)-containing adjuvant (glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant in a stable emulsion [GLA-SE]) stimulated antigen-specific IFN-γ secretion from pluripotent Th1 cells. When immunized mice were experimentally infected with M. leprae, both cellular infiltration into the local lymph node and bacterial growth at the site were reduced relative to those of unimmunized mice. Thus, the use of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis candidate vaccines ID83/GLA-SE and ID93/GLA-SE may confer cross-protection against M. leprae infection. Our data suggest these vaccines could potentially be used as an additional control measure for leprosy.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA mduthie@idri.org.
authors.forename: Malcolm S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Duthie
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Rhea N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Coler
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Laurance
authors.affiliation: Tropical Pathology and Public Health Institute, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucas H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sampaio
authors.affiliation: Tropical Pathology and Public Health Institute, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Regiane M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Tropical Pathology and Public Health Institute, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Lucia M
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Tropical Pathology and Public Health Institute, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariane M A
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Stefani
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Leprosy Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Leprosy Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Leprosy Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines; D007371:Interferon-gamma