Antibodies to Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific epitopes in lepromatous leprosy

Sera from patients with leprosy or tuberculosis and healthy subjects have been analysed for the presence of antibodies to four species-specific mycobacterial epitopes, four different viruses and five autoantigens. Antibodies to the Mycobacterium leprae-specific 35-kD protein and phenolic glycolipid I epitopes were not present in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. In contrast, antibody levels to species-specific epitopes of the 38-kD and 14-kD antigens M. tuberculosis were significantly elevated in patients with lepromatous leprosy. Neither of the two antigens is cross-reactive with M. leprae at the B cell level. However, it was considered that cross-reactive helper T cells could recall the response of M. tuberculosis-specific memory B cells, which had been primed through prior self-healing tuberculous infection. As an alternative explanation, the possible role of polyclonal B cell stimulation was considered. This seemed unlikely, however, since: (i) antibody levels to autoantigens, except anti-smooth muscle, were not elevated, and (ii) antibody levels to four distinct viruses, unlike those to all mycobacterial epitopes, showed no correlation with titres, to M. tuberculosis-specific epitopes.