Double blind trial on the effect of certain soluble cytoplasmic mycobacterial antigens on the late reactivity to lepromin.

Two hundred forty-four children between six months and 59 months of age from nursery schools and playgrounds in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, were randomly allocated into five groups. These received: 1) intradermal BCG; 2) placebo; 3) antigen F, containing soluble cytoplasmic components of the mycobacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. aquae, and M. lepraemurium; 4) antigen G, containing soluble cytoplasmic components of M. piscium, and M. balnei, and 5) antigen H, containing soluble cytoplasmic components of M. leprae. BCG preinjected children had the highest proportion of positive late lepromin reactions. The injection of antigens F, G, or H had no effect on the late lepromin reactions. These findings contrasted with those observed in our earlier trial in which the injection of antigens X (containing soluble cytoplasmic components of the mycobacteria M. avium and M. gallinarum), Y (M. simiae, M. gallinarum, and M. avium), and Z (M. leprae, M. simiae, and M. borstelense) had caused significantly lower positive late lepromin reactions. By comparing the data of the present investigation with the findings of the first trial, it appears that the antigens obtained from M. borstelense and from either M. avium or M. gallinarum could have been instrumental in the impairment of lepromin activity observed in the first trial.

Immune response to a purified cytoplasmic protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

This paper describes studies based on the hypothesis that the immunogenicity of the gonococcus is impaired by a component toxic to immunocytes. Cytoplasm of colony type 1 gonococci was found to contain a protein fraction beta+t not present in colony type 4 gonococci. From the results of further analysis it is tentatively deduced that beta+t consists of a toxic component Tbeta-t and an immunogen.

Impairment of reactivity to lepromin by mycobacterial antigens related to, or identical with, Mycobacterium leprae.

Three hundred and twenty young children were injected with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) saline, or with one of the mycobacterial cytoplasmic antigens related with Mycobacterium leprae. At an appropriate time thereafter they were tested for dermal hypersensitivity to the antigens and for reactions to lepromin. Whereas all the antigens induced cell-mediated immunity, the incidence and intensity of late response to lepromin were significantly reduced in children preinjected with the cytoplasmic mycobacterial antigens, as contrasted with increased lepromin reactivity in the BCG group and with the findings in saline-injected children.

Preliminary observations on the protective action of a cytoplasmic immunogen of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

A non-toxic protein, termed beta(-t), consisting of lysine, aspartic acid, threonine, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, and alanine (1.2:1.3:1.3:3:2.2:7:1) was isolated, by the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, from an isoelectric toxic proteinaceous fraction beta(+1) of the type 1 cytoplasm of N. gonorrhoeae. The beta(-t) antigen elicited delayed hypersensitivity and vigorous primary and secondary humoral responses in rabbits, and it conferred immune protection against intraocular gonococcal infections.

Immunophyletic relationships between actinomycetales and eubacteriales determined by examinations of their cytoplasmic antigens.

Cytoplasms obtained from a total of 205 different strains of Actinomycetales, Eubacteriales, Lower Fungi, and Protozoa were examined against selected anti-cytoplasm antisera using the immunodiffusion and counterimmunoelectrophoresis procedures. Immunological relationships between the different genera have been revealed and, in respect to Eubacteriales, the possible immunophyletic determinants have been discerned. Cytoplasms of Enterobacter, Clostridium, Staphylococcus, and Diplococcus were found to retain the significant linkage determinants between large groups of Eubacteriales and Actinomycetales. Evolutionary implications of the findings are discussed.

Pathobiological relationships between Mycobacterium leprae and its primitive host.

Newborn snakes were injected with 10(2)-10(4) live or heated Mycobacterium leprae. Death occurred in 5-6 weeks. On autopsy, the snakes injected with live microorganisms showed pathological changes and numerous acid-fast bacteria were found in some organs. Material was also transferred from an experimentally infected snake to a group of normal newborn snakes, causing their death in 3 weeks. Extracts in phosphate-buffered saline, prepared from the tissues of infected snakes, were found to react with anti-M. leprae and anti-M. lepraemurium rabbit antisera. No immunodiffusion reactions were elicited by extracts from the organs of control snakes.