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Optimized Protocols for Mycobacterium leprae Strain Management: Frozen Stock Preservation and Maintenance in Athymic Nude Mice
Published on: March 23, 2014
Assessment of cell mediated immunogenicity of Mycobacterium leprae-derived antigens
Yumi Maeda1, Masaichi Gidoh, Norihisa Ishii
1Department of Microbiology, Leprosy Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-2-1 Aoba-cho, Higashimurayama, 189-0002, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract:
The antigenicity of Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae)-derived cell membrane fraction was examined using human dendritic cells (DCs). Immature DCs internalized and processed the cell membrane components, and expressed M. leprae-derived antigens (Ags) on their surface. The expression of MHC class II, CD86, and CD83 Ags on DCs and CD40 ligand (L)-associated IL-12 p70 production from DCs were up-regulated by the membrane Ags. Moreover these stimulated DCs induced significantly higher level of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production by autologous CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells than those pulsed with equivalent doses of live M. leprae or its cytosol fraction. Both subsets of T cells from tuberculoid leprosy patients also produced several fold more IFN-gamma than those from normal individuals. Furthermore, the intracellular perforin production in CD8(+) T cells was up-regulated in an Ag-dose dependent manner. These results suggest that M. leprae membrane Ags might be useful as the vaccinating agents against leprosy.
