IDENTIFICATION OF COMPONENTS OF IC PURIFIED FROM HUMAN-SERA .2. DEMONSTRATION OF MYCOBACTERIAL ANTIGENS IN IMMUNE-COMPLEXES ISOLATED FROM SERA OF LEPROMATOUS PATIENTS

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 51  (2) , 225-231
Abstract
Immune complexes CIC were purified from sera of patients with lepromatous leprosy, using solid phase conglutinin and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Some of their components have been immunologically identified after electrophoretic blotting on nitrocellulose. First Ig, complement components (C1q, C1s, C3) and C reactive protein were found in IC. Secondly, one mycobacterial antigen of 67 [kilodalton] kD was directly identified in IC while 2 other components (20 kD and 14.4 kD) of possible Mycobacterium leprae origin were also found in IC. Evidently, lepromatous patients develop a good antibody response against some M. leprae antigens (33 kD and 12 kD), which are rapidly eliminated from circulation, while other M. leprae antigens (e.g. 67 kD) can persist in relative antigen excess, within circulating IC.