[Comparative characterization of the antigenic composition of M. leprae and M. lufu]. / Sravnitel'naia kharakteristika antigennogo sostava M. leprae i M.lufu.

The antigenic structure of M. leprae and M. lufu was comparatively studied for the first time. M. lufu was found to have M. leprae-specific protein with a molecular weight of 36 kDa. M. leprae and M. lufu were similar in their fractional composition of proteins and an antibody response to determinants with equal molecular weights in patients with different forms of leprosy and its varying severity. The findings may improve a diagnostic system in leprosy by using M. lufu antigens as an alternative.

[The comparative cultural-biochemical and immunochemical identification of laboratory strains of cultured mycobacteria from leprous patient lesions and from soil]. / Sranitel'naia kul'tural'no-biokhimicheskaia i immunokhimicheskaia identifikatsiia laboratornykh shtammov kul'tiviruemykh mikobakterii iz leproznykh porazhenii bol'nykh i pochvy.

The paper presents the results of studied of cultural biochemical and immunochemical properties of the cultured mycobacteria isolated from patients with leprous lesions of (M.01, M.011) and the soil (M. lufu) in compared to other well-known mycobacteria and between them. M.01, M.011, and M. lufu differ from other representatives of the genus Mycobacterium, but they are close to each other in their cultural biochemical and immunochemical properties, antigenic composition, and protein spectra. The findings are an additional characteristic of the biological properties of M.01, M.011, and M. lufu.