The immunoglobulin classes of the antibody response to the species-specific phenolic glycolipid antigen of Mycobacterium leprae have been characterized for serum specimens from 78 patients with leprosy. These patients included the entire clinical spectrum from paucibacillary to multibacillary disease, including polar tuberculoid (TT; 11 patients), borderline tuberculoid (BT; 15), borderline (BB; 17), borderline lepromatous (BL; 13), and lepromatous (LL; 22)--clinical classifications according to Ridley-Jopling criteria. In each patient group, the levels of IgM antibody to phenolic glycolipid were significantly higher than levels of IgG or IgA. Inhibition experiments with purified antigen showed that antibodies to the phenolic glycolipid dominated the human IgM antibody response to the surface of M. leprae.
BT - The Journal of infectious diseases C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6376654?dopt=Abstract DA - 1984 Jun DO - 10.1093/infdis/149.6.870 IS - 6 J2 - J. Infect. Dis. LA - eng N2 -The immunoglobulin classes of the antibody response to the species-specific phenolic glycolipid antigen of Mycobacterium leprae have been characterized for serum specimens from 78 patients with leprosy. These patients included the entire clinical spectrum from paucibacillary to multibacillary disease, including polar tuberculoid (TT; 11 patients), borderline tuberculoid (BT; 15), borderline (BB; 17), borderline lepromatous (BL; 13), and lepromatous (LL; 22)--clinical classifications according to Ridley-Jopling criteria. In each patient group, the levels of IgM antibody to phenolic glycolipid were significantly higher than levels of IgG or IgA. Inhibition experiments with purified antigen showed that antibodies to the phenolic glycolipid dominated the human IgM antibody response to the surface of M. leprae.
PY - 1984 SP - 870 EP - 3 T2 - The Journal of infectious diseases TI - Humans respond predominantly with IgM immunoglobulin to the species-specific glycolipid of Mycobacterium leprae. VL - 149 SN - 0022-1899 ER -