ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the prospects of recombinant 38000 protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in tuberculosis epidemic investigation and subunit vaccine preparation.Methods Physicochemical characteristics of recombinant 38000 protein was detected by P I, peptide-mapping analysis and circular dichroism,guinea pig skin test,MTT stain,and peripheral blood macrophage phagocytosis were used to investigate the roles of recombinant 38000 protein in the cell immunity.Results Recombinant 38000 protein was acidic protein,its P I, was 4 67.The number of alkaline amino acid correspond with theoretic number;The secondary structure of recombinant 38000 protein was composed of ?-helix(32 6%),?-turn(31 6%) and random coil(35 8%) Recombinant 38000 protein could induce DTH in guinea pig sensitized by Mycobacterium tuberculosis Recombinant 38000 protein enhanced phagocytosis of macrophage in mice . PBMC from 30 8% healthy donors and 25% tuberculosis patients were stimulated by the recombinant 38000 protein.Conclusion Recombinant 38000 protein may be used as diagnostic reagent and as an candidate in development of subunit vaccine.