title: Molecular mimicry between Mycobacterium leprae proteins (50S ribosomal protein L2 and Lysyl-tRNA synthetase) and myelin basic protein: a possible mechanism of nerve damage in leprosy.
abstract: Autoantibodies against various components of host are known to occur in leprosy. Nerve damage is the primary cause of disability associated with leprosy. The aim of this study was to detect the level of autoantibodies and lympho-proliferative response against myelin basic protein (MBP) in leprosy patients (LPs) and their correlation with clinical phenotypes of LPs. Further, probable role of molecular mimicry in nerve damage of LPs was investigated. We observed significantly high level of anti-MBP antibodies in LPs across the spectrum and a positive significant correlation between the level of anti-MBP antibodies and the number of nerves involved in LPs. We report here that 4 B cell epitopes of myelin A1 and Mycobacterium leprae proteins, 50S ribosomal L2 and lysyl tRNA synthetase are cross-reactive. Further, M. leprae sonicated antigen hyperimmunization was responsible for induction of autoantibody response in mice which could be adoptively transferred to naive mice. For the first time our findings suggest the role of molecular mimicry in nerve damage in leprosy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (ICMR), Tajganj, Agra, India. Electronic address: itusingh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Itu
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (ICMR), Tajganj, Agra, India.
authors.forename: Asha Ram
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (ICMR), Tajganj, Agra, India. Electronic address: keshar63@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Keshar Kunja
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Mohanty
authors.affiliation: Clinical Division, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (ICMR), Tajganj, Agra, India.
authors.forename: Kiran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katoch
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (ICMR), Tajganj, Agra, India. Electronic address: prashant_jalma@rediffmail.com.
authors.forename: Prashant
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (ICMR), Tajganj, Agra, India. Electronic address: bishalatulmpi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bishal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (ICMR), Tajganj, Agra, India. Electronic address: abd1109@rediffmail.com.
authors.forename: Deepa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bisht
authors.affiliation: Animal Experimentation Laboratory, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (ICMR), Tajganj, Agra, India.
authors.forename: U D
authors.initials: UD
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (ICMR), Tajganj, Agra, India. Electronic address: senguptautpal2013@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Utpal
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sengupta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008250:Lysine-tRNA Ligase / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000097:blood; D018716:Molecular Mimicry / Q000502:physiology*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; C029466:ribosomal protein L2; D008250:Lysine-tRNA Ligase
keywords: Autoantibodies; Autoimmunity; Leprosy; Molecular mimicry; Myelin basic protein