Characterization of an inhibitory seric factor from tuberculosis anergic patients that acts on non-adherent PPD...

Non-adherent cells from PPD+ tuberculosis patients (TBP PPD+) and from healthy individuals treated with whole tuberculosis anergic immune sera or with its protein A-Sepharose IgG fraction, or with sera fraction separated by PPD-Sepharose chromatography, were submitted to immunofluorescence assays. Anti-human IgG or IgM FITC-conjugate were used to reveal the assays, and results were expressed by a fluorescence percentage or fluorescence index. The presence of IgG over the surface of PPD+ non-adherent cells was detected. High fluorescence percentages were observed only in those PPD+ cells treated with whole anergic serum or with its IgG fraction. Positive fluorescence index values were obtained only in those PPD+ cells treated with anergic serum, meanwhile fluorescence index was always negative when non-bound fractions from PPD-Sepharose were used. Results suggest that non-adherent population are the cell targets for the serum inhibitory factor, which previously has been detected to inhibit antigen response in PPD reactive cells and, point out the specific behavior of this factor, since it was eliminate by PPD-Sepharose chromatography. The IgG nature of the factor was demonstrated by SDS-PAGE and immunoelectrophoresis.