Specificity and diversity of antibodies to Mycobacterium tuberculosis arabinomannan.

ABSTRACT: Arabinomannan (AM) is a polysaccharide antigen of the mycobacterial capsule. However, it is uncertain whether AM constitutes an immunologically distinct fraction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this study, we analyzed the repertoire and specificity of antibodies to AM by using AM-binding murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and human serum samples. Murine MAbs were found to be diverse in their specificity to AM and cross-reactivity with other arabinose-containing mycobacterial polysaccharides, with MAb 9d8 binding exclusively to AM. Human antibodies to AM were detected in serum samples from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), as well as in those from healthy, purified protein derivative-negative controls, with significantly higher titers among patients. The binding of human antibod

SUBMITTER: Navoa JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC145285 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature