02058nas a2200397   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653001000058653002600068653002500094653002400119653001800143653002000161653001100181653001100192653001100203653001200214653002600226653000900252653001600261653002500277653003100302653002400333653001800357100002200375700001100397700001600408700001400424700001200438700001300450245009100463300001300554490000800567520107100575022001401646       1989                            d  c1989 May 1510aAdult10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aAntibody Specificity10aAntigens, Bacterial10aCell Survival10aCross Reactions10aFamily10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aLymphocyte Activation10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aMycobacterium leprae10aMycobacterium tuberculosis10aSpecies Specificity10aT-Lymphocytes1 aMendez-Samperio P1 aLamb J1 aBothamley G1 aStanley P1 aEllis C1 aIvanyi J00aMolecular study of the T cell repertoire in family contacts and patients with leprosy.  a3599-6040 v1423 a<p>The specificity of lymphocyte proliferative responses of 22 family contacts and 7 patients with leprosy were analyzed using Ag fractions from soluble extracts of Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Fractions 10-100 kDa m.w. from each extract were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, electroblotted to nitrocellulose membrane and solubilized for use in lymphocyte culture. The main immunogenic fractions for both contacts and patients had m.w. of 12,000 to 22,000, 35,000 to 40,000, and 65,000. Determinants which were either distinct or shared by the two extracts were active in each of the immunogenic fractions. Lymphocyte proliferation following stimulation with separated Ag was found also in five subjects who failed to respond to the whole soluble extracts. Stimulatory synthetic peptides were identified for the 65 kDa protein Ag. This technique has permitted the screening of the T cell immune repertoire for the identification of the immunodominant Ag which merit further purification and molecular characterization.</p>  a0022-1767