title: Screening putative antigens as stimulators in the Mycobacterium bovis interferon-gamma release assay for cattle.
abstract: Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) represents not only a significant economic concern, but also an important public health problem. Currently, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) release assays (IGRAs) are widely used as an adjunct to the tuberculin test (TST) for the diagnosis of BTB. A great number of international studies have demonstrated that the sensitivity of the IFN-γ assay, which uses purified protein derivatives (PPDs) as diagnostic reagents, is superior to that of the TST. However, there are concerns about its specificity, largely because of the cross reactivity of common antigens shared by pathogenic and non-pathogenic mycobacterial species. The use of pathogen-specific antigens theoretically offers the most effective way to improve the specificity of IGRAs. In this study, we evaluated the potential utility of 13 purified recombinant putative antigens, which are highly specific to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, as diagnostic reagents in IGRAs. A CFP-10-ESAT-6 fusion protein (abbreviated CE) displayed the greatest potential, whereas four region of difference 2 (RD2) antigens, especially Rv1985c were identified as potential candidate antigens, and can be included in an IGRA cocktail, together with CE as stimulators in the IFN-γ release assay for the diagnosis of BTB.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
authors.forename: Chuang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
authors.forename: Zhengzhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
authors.forename: Fa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
authors.forename: Yuelan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China. Electronic address: chenxiang@yzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China. Electronic address: jiao@yzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xinan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D059425:Interferon-gamma Release Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000662:veterinary*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology; D014374:Tuberculin Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000662:veterinary; D014380:Tuberculosis, Bovine / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C505464:ESAT-6-CFP10 fusion protein; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014373:Tuberculin
keywords: Bovine tuberculosis; IFN-γ assay; Stimulator; Tuberculin