02224nas a2200421   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002400055653002600079653002300105653002300128653001400151653002800165653002100193653003000214653001100244653001900255653002100274653001200295653001200307653002500319653001300344100001200357700001700369700001300386700001400399700001200413700001500425700001200440700001400452700001900466245014900485856007600634300001000710490000800720520106000728022001401788       2009                            d  c2009 Mar10aAdhesins, Bacterial10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aBacterial Adhesion10aBacterial Proteins10aCell Line10aColony Count, Microbial10aEpithelial Cells10aGene Expression Profiling10aHumans10aImmunoblotting10aImmunoglobulin G10aLectins10aleprosy10aMycobacterium leprae10aProteome1 aLima CS1 aMarques MA M1 aDebrie A1 aAlmeida E1 aSilva C1 aBrennan PJ1 aSarno E1 aMenozzi F1 aPessolani MC V00aHeparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) of Mycobacterium leprae is expressed during infection and enhances bacterial adherence to epithelial cells.  uhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1574-6968.2009.01488.x/pdf  a162-90 v2923 a<p>A heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) expressed on the surface of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an antigenic protein that has been implicated in bacterial adherence to epithelial cells and systemic dissemination. In this study, the potential role of the Mycobacterium leprae HBHA (ML-HBHA) homologue in leprosy was investigated. Initially, the in vivo expression of HBHA and its association with the M. leprae cell envelope was confirmed by immunoblotting and proteomic analysis. Mycobacterium leprae recombinant HBHA (rML-HBHA) bound to a heparin-Sepharose column, and its capacity to act as an adhesin was demonstrated in experiments showing that the exogenous addition of the protein to latex beads or to M. leprae cells promotes a dramatic increase in association with epithelial cells. Finally, serum anti-HBHA immunoglobulin G levels were investigated in individuals infected with M. leprae. Altogether, our data indicate that HBHA is recognized during the course of bacterial infection in humans and may play a role in leprosy pathogenesis.</p>  a1574-6968