01588nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653002600067653002400093653001500117653001100132653001200143653002500155653002100180653001400201100001300215700001200228700001300240700001400253245008000267300001100347490000700358520093100365022001401296       1978                            d  c1978 Nov10aAnimals10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aAntigens, Bacterial10aArmadillos10aHumans10aleprosy10aMycobacterium leprae10aRadioimmunoassay10aXenarthra1 aHarboe M1 aCloss O1 aRees R J1 aWalsh G P00aFormation of antibody against Mycobacterium leprae antigen 7 in armadillos.  a525-350 v113 a<p>A radioimmunoassay developed to measure antibody against Mycobacterium leprae antigen 7 in man was applied to the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). Normal armadillo sera had low but significant antibody activity in the test. Fourteen of 17 armadillos with systemic mycobacterial infection after inoculation with M. leprae showed increased antibody activity in the assay, and in some instances the activity was higher than in a pool of sera from patients with lepromatous leprosy. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis with armadillo serum in the intermediate gel revealed antibodies against five distinct antigenic components of M. leprae. Development of systemic mycobacterial infection after inoculation with M. leprae is thus associated with a distinct humoral immune response. The use of radioimmunosassay for selection of animals for inoculation and for following the development of the infection is discussed.</p>  a0022-2615