@article{6992,
  keywords = {Antibodies, Bacterial, Antigen-Antibody Reactions, Antigens, Bacterial, Bacterial Proteins, Glycolipids, Humans, leprosy, Leprosy, lepromatous, Leprosy, Tuberculoid, Mycobacterium leprae, Sequence Analysis, Protein},
  author = {Reece ST and Ireton G and Mohamath R and Guderian J and Goto W and Gelber R and Groathouse N and Spencer JS and Brennan PJ and Reed S},
  title = {ML0405 and ML2331 are antigens of Mycobacterium leprae with potential for diagnosis of leprosy.},
  abstract = {<p>Despite the success of multidrug therapy in reducing the number of registered leprosy cases worldwide, evidence suggests that Mycobacterium leprae continues to be transmitted. A serological diagnostic test capable of identifying and allowing treatment of early-stage disease could reduce transmission and prevent the onset of the disability, a common complication of the disease in later stages. Serological diagnosis based on antibody recognition of phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I) cannot reliably identify individuals with lower bacterial indices (BI). One strategy that might improve this situation is the provision of highly specific serological antigens that may be combined with PGL-I to improve the sensitivity of diagnosis. Using serological expression cloning with a serum pool of untreated lepromatous leprosy (LL) patients, we identified 14 strongly reactive M. leprae proteins, 5 of which were previously unstudied. We present results suggesting that two of these proteins, ML0405 and ML2331, demonstrate the ability to specifically identify LL/borderline lepromatous (BL) patients on the basis of immunoglobulin G (IgG) reactivity. In a household contact study, LL index cases were identified on the basis of this reactivity, while household contacts of these patients demonstrated undetectable reactivity. At a serum dilution of 1:800, suitable to reduce background PGL-I IgM reactivity, two BL patients with a BI of <4 showed anti-human polyvalent immunoglobulin G, A, and M reactivity measured with a combination of ML0405, ML2331, and natural disaccharide O-linked human serum albumin (NDOHSA) (synthetic PGL-I) that was markedly higher than IgM reactivity to NDOHSA alone. We suggest that ML0405 and ML2331 may have utility in serological leprosy diagnosis.</p>},
  year = {2006},
  journal = {Clinical and vaccine immunology : CVI},
  volume = {13},
  pages = {333-40},
  month = {2006 Mar},
  issn = {1556-6811},
  url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1391965/pdf/0365-05.pdf},
  doi = {10.1128/CVI.13.3.333-340.2006},
  language = {eng},
}