ANTIBODY-RESPONSE TO B-CELL EPITOPES OF CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS 60-KDA HEAT-SHOCK PROTEIN AND CORRESPONDING MYCOBACTERIAL AND HUMAN PEPTIDES IN INFANTS WITH CHLAMYDIAL PNEUMONITIS
J. Paavonen et al., ANTIBODY-RESPONSE TO B-CELL EPITOPES OF CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS 60-KDA HEAT-SHOCK PROTEIN AND CORRESPONDING MYCOBACTERIAL AND HUMAN PEPTIDES IN INFANTS WITH CHLAMYDIAL PNEUMONITIS, The Journal of infectious diseases, 169(4), 1994, pp. 908-911
To study antibody response to the hypersensitivity protein B of Chlamy
dia trachomatis, also known as the 60-kDa heat-shock protein (hsp60),
epitope scanning was done over the entire protein. Human sera with ant
ibodies to C. trachomatis identified 5 major antigenic regions (peptid
es 2, 5, 9, 17, and 21) and several minor regions (peptides 34-37, 39,
50, and 59-62). Clear-cut IgG antibody responses to chlamydial peptid
e 2 (YNEEARKKIQKGVKT) and a corresponding mycobacterial peptide (YDEEA
RRGLERGLNA) were found in 8 of 16 infants with chlamydial pneumonitis
and in 1 of 18 controls. Peptide 50 (RLAKLSGGVAVIRVG) showed an 80% id
entity with its human counterpart (RLAKLSDGVAVLKVG), which was derived
from human mitochondrial protein P1, but specific antipeptide antibod
y responses were found in 3 of 16 cases only. In summary, both IgG ant
ibody response to C. trachomatis hsp60 and occasional autoantibody for
mation in infants with chlamydial pneumonitis were found.