01869nas a2200361   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653002300089653001000112653002100122653004100143653002900184653002300213653001100236653001100247653002300258653001100281653001300292653001200305653000900317653001600326653002500342653002200367100001200389245003300401300000900434490000600443520104400449022001401493       1989                            d  c1989 Apr10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aBacterial Vaccines10aChild10aChild, Preschool10aChromatography, High Pressure Liquid10aClinical Trials as Topic10aCloning, Molecular10aFemale10aHumans10aImmunity, Cellular10aInfant10aLepromin10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aMycobacterium leprae10aRandom Allocation1 aDeo M G00aICRC 'anti-leprosy vaccine'.  a92-30 v73 a<p>A vaccine containing ICRC bacilli, which are leprosy-derived cultivable mycobacteria, induces lepromin conversion in LL patients and lepromin-negative persons. 'Up-grading' of lesions and reversal reaction are observed in some vaccinated patients. The bacillus shows antigenic cross-reactivity with Mycobacterium leprae. These observations provided the basis for launching a large-scale field trial of the vaccine in India in February 1987. The objective of the two-arm trial is to assess efficacy of the ICRC vaccine against BCG, which forms the control arm, in lowering the incidence of leprosy in healthy household contacts of leprosy patients. Recently, a very high molecular weight fraction, named PP-I, has been isolated from the sonicate of ICRC bacilli. PP-I, which is a glycolipoprotein, is a strong T-cell immunogen and shows antigenic cross-reactivity with a similar fraction isolated from M. leprae. A 'subunit' vaccine containing the PP-I of ICRC bacilli is currently undergoing phase I and II clinical trials in India.</p>  a0264-410X