Differential T Cell Responses To Mycobacteria-Secreted Proteins Distinguish Vaccination With Bacille Calmette-Guérin From Infection With Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 170; no. 5; pp. 1326 - 1330
• Main Authors: Roche, Paul W., Triccas, James A., Avery, Danielle T., Fifis, Theodora, Billman-Jacobe, Helen, Britton, Warwick J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The University of Chicago Press 01.11.1994; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antibodies; Antigens; Antigens, Bacterial; Bacillus calmette guerin vaccine; Bacterial Proteins - immunology; BCG Vaccine - immunology; Concise Communications; DNA; Female; Humans; Leprosy; Leprosy - immunology; Male; Middle Aged; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - immunology; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Tuberculin; Tuberculosis - immunology; Tuberculosis vaccine; Vaccination
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/170.5.1326

The immune responses of healthy recipients of Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, tuberculosis (TB) patients, and contacts of TB patients were examined to three major secretory proteins ofMycobacterium tuberculosis, MPB59, MPB64, and MPB70. MPB59 evoked a T cell response in 78% of BCG vaccinees, 62% of TB patients, and 60% of contacts. MPB64 and MPB70 were recognized by < 15% of BCG vaccinees, half of TB patients, and three-quarters of contacts. TB and leprosy patients had antibody responses to MPB59, but few had antibodies to MPB64 or MPB70. Hybridization of mycobacterial DNA with specific gene probes demonstrated the absence of a gene for MPB64 in the vaccine strain of BCG, but the MPB70 gene was found in all virulent and vaccine BeG strains tested. Since MPB64 and MPB70 can induce delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions in infected animals, either of these proteins may have potential as skin test reagents for detecting infection with M. tuberculosis .