N. Dhiman et al., CELLULAR IMMUNE-RESPONSES TO CELL-WALL PEPTIDOGLYCAN ASSOCIATED PROTEIN ANTIGENS IN TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS AND HEALTHY-SUBJECTS, Microbiology and immunology, 41(6), 1997, pp. 495-502
We have isolated cell wall peptidoglycan associated proteins (CW-Pr) o
f Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra by chemical treatment with trifluor
omethanesulfonic acid:anisole (2:1), which further resolved into 71, 6
0 and 45 kDa proteins on SDS-PAGE, A study was carried out to investig
ate the immunoreactivity of these proteins with blood samples from 4 c
ategories, including 15 tuberculous patients (TB), 5 tuberculous patie
nts on ATT (TBT), 10 PPD non-reactive healthy controls (HPPD-) and II
PPD reactive healthy controls (HPPD+). Comparing the proliferative res
ponses to cell wall protein antigens, it was observed that the 71 kDa
protein gave maximum stimulation with PBMCs from the TB and HPPD+ grou
ps, The adherent PBMCs from the TB group also demonstrated enhanced ph
agocytosis, particularly in the presence of 71 and 45 kDa proteins, an
d the phagocytic index was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the TB
T group, However, PBMCs from of the groups recognized the 60 kDa cell
wall antigen, Our results suggest that the 71 kDa protein from the cel
l wall of M. tuberculosis is highly immunogenic.