Human T cell responses to peptides of the Mycobacterium leprae 45-kD serine-rich antigen |
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Authors: | Brahmbhatt S Hussain R Zafar S Dawood G Ottenhoff T H M Drijfhout J W Bothamley G Smith S Lopez F V Dockrell H M |
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Affiliation: | Immunology Unit, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. |
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Abstract: | In order to identify T cell epitopes within the Mycobacterium leprae 45-kD serine-rich antigen, we analysed responses to overlapping 17-mer peptides encompassing the whole antigen in non-exposed UK controls, Pakistani leprosy patients and tuberculosis patients in both the United Kingdom and Pakistan. This antigen has been described as M. leprae-specific, although it has a hypothetical homologue in M. tuberculosis. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with peptide for 5 days and IFN-gamma measured in supernatants by ELISA. Some peptides were recognized more frequently by T cells from tuberculoid leprosy patients than those from UK controls, suggesting that such T cell epitopes might have diagnostic potential, while other peptides induced greater responses among UK control subjects. Short-term cell lines confirmed that these assays detected specific T cell recognition of these peptides. However, many tuberculosis patients also recognized these potentially specific peptides suggesting that there could be a true homologue present in M. tuberculosis. |
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Keywords: | cell mediated immunity (CMI) diagnosis interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) M. leprae peptides |
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