HLA antigens in Omanis with blinding trachoma: markers for disease susceptibility and resistance.

AIM: To determine the presence of HLA antigens in people with blinding trachoma. METHODS: Fifty Omanis with blinding trachoma were serologically typed for HLA A, B, C, DR, and DQ antigens and DNA typed for class II DR beta and DQ beta alleles and compared with a population of 100 healthy controls. RESULTS: chi 2 analysis of serological reactions did not reveal any significant differences in HLA antigen frequencies after correction of probability, although DR4, DR7, and DR53 were completely absent in the patients and all of the patients were HLA DQ1 positive. In the case of DQ1 the relative risk was 22.6 (95% confidence interval of 20.7-24.7). Class II DNA low resolution DR beta typing showed a significant increase in HLA DR16 (pc = 0.036, relative risk = 3.8) and a significant decrease in HLA DR53 (pc = 0.018, relative risk = 0.05). CONCLUSION: The finding that HLA DR16 (a DR2 subtype) is associated with susceptibility to blinding trachoma, a disease that is caused by an intracellular micro-organism, is consistent with reports of an HLA DR2 association with leprosy and tuberculosis, diseases also caused by an intracellular micro-organism. Similarly, resistance to leprosy is associated with HLA DR53 as is the case with blinding trachoma described here. It is postulated that HLA DR2 or subtypes in association with HLA DQ 1 may enable an intracellular micro-organism to enter the cell or are involved in presentation of peptides derived from intracellular micro-organisms to T lymphocytes initiating a delayed hypersensitivity or autoimmune reaction. These findings are the first report that genetic factors are of major importance in the development and protection against blinding trachoma.

[A new leptospiral serovar in the autumnalis serogroup].

Strain A6 of leptospire was isolated from blood culture of a case with leptospirosis on July 1, 1962 in Mengla county, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. It is proved a new serovar belonging to serogroup Autumnalis by cross agglutination and cross agglutinin-absorption tests. The name, Leprospira interrogans serovar nanla with reference strain A6 is proposed.

Rapid and precise diagnosis of atypical mycobacterial infection by chemotaxonomical and immunological methods.

The species of 205 strains of acid fast bacteria isolated from swine and human mycobacteriosis were identified chemotaxonomically and numericaltaxonomically. The species of the isolates which were identified numericaltaxonomically as Mycobacterium avium intracellulare (MAI) complex were further classified by using both thin-layer chromatography of the antigenic glycopeptidolipids (GPL) from the bacteria and seroagglutination test devised by Schaefer. These MAI complex from swine fell into serotype 8 (45 strains), serotype 4 (32 strains), serotype 9 (9 strains) and untypable (9 strains), respectively. In contrast to swine, human isolates covered more wide ranges of serotypes such as serovar 7, 12, 16 besides serovar 4, 8 and 9. Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which is based on the type specific glycolipid antigen and infected swine/human sera was applied to distinguish serological variants of the MAI complex. Of the fourteen cases in swine and five in human that had been typed by both the seroagglutination reaction and the thin layer chromatography (TLC) the thirteen in swine and two in human cases showed clear coincidence with the results of ELISA. The results demonstrated that enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using infected sera was especially useful, and it was recommended from the sensitivity and rapidity as an adjunct to seroagglutination test and thin layer chromatography for the identification of serotypes of MAI complex.

The use of DNA probes identifying restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms to examine the Mycobacterium avium complex.

DNA probes were used to identify restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in DNA samples, demonstrating that the Mycobacterium avium complex could be clearly divided into M. avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare strains. Less than 2% DNA base substitution was found between M. avium strains, whereas the M. intracellulare strains had greater than 15% base substitution. The Johne's disease bacillus, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (American type strain), was found to be distinguishable from the M. avium complex serotypes examined. Strain 18 was found to be identical to M. avium. The rat leprosy bacillus, Mycobacterium lepraemurium, was found to be very closely related, but not identical, to M. avium.

Immunological properties of M. leprae culture isolates ICRC bacilli: hypothesis on relationship between M. leprae and ML-culture isolates.

The M. leprae-culture isolate, being a culture, is identified by biochemical criteria. Majority belong to either M. avium-intracellulare-scrofulacieum complex, or corynobacterium group. The identification is also determined by serological methods using soluble sonicates. Skin tests with heat-killed suspension often give positive Mitsuda response and hence the isolates are discarded as non-M. leprae. The data on ICRC strains show that Dharmendra type antigen prepared from ICRC bacilli compares very well with lepromin in lepromatous patients. The CMI/DTH tests in mice by FPE and LMI technique have experimentally demonstrated that ICRC bacillus is the first cultivable mycobacterium that can sensitize mice against lepromin. These data also brought out antigenic differences between the ICRC strains. The clinical trial on ICRC vaccine has shown that the ICRC bacilli is immunogenic in Man. The biochemical data on ICRC strain show that they possess DOPA-Oxidase and can express biochemical character of 9/10 similarity index with M. leprae with appropriate substrates in the medium. Thus, the ICRC strains possess both M. leprae and M. avium characters. An hypothesis is proposed to explain these observations--The 'Janus face' of M. leprae--by proposing a relationship between M. leprae and its culture isolates, e.g. ICRC bacilli (1). The M. leprae-culture isolate may by a recombinent of M. leprae with M. avium background (2). The ML-isolate may express the CMI related antigenic determinants corresponding to that of M. leprae in the biopsy (3). The CMI related antigens of whole bacilli in the ML-culture isolate may be inducing type as against only eliciting antigen expressed by M. leprae (4). Recombination may provide immunogenicity as well as 'in vitro' growth potential to the ML-culture isolate (5). Absence or failure to express inducing antigen by M. leprae maybe alternate biological escape mechanism from immune surveillance for survival in vivo, with or without suppressor mechanisms.

[Relationships between "Mycobacterium simiae" and the "M. avium-intracellulare-scrofulaceum" complex (author's transl)]. / Relations entre Mycobacterium simiae et le complexe M. avium-intracellulare-scofulaceum.

The 24 strains of Mycobacterium simiae described in this report were isolated from 12 black Africans, 6 from white Europeans, 5 from primates and 1 from a leprosy infected Armadillo. These strains form 3 groups having the similar morphologic and cultural properties as M. intracellulare. Two groups were similar with respect to pigmentation, urease activity and niacin production but differed serologically, the second group being of M. intracellulare serotype 18. The third group was less homogenous and was intermediate to M. simiae and M. intracellulare. Thus M. simiae belong to the M. avium-intracellulare-simiae-scrofulaceum (MAISS) complex. Two cases of well characterized pulmonary disease progressed like M. avium mycobacteriosis.

Antigenic analysis of Mycobacterium leprae.

About twenty distinct antigenic components have been demonstrated in Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) by crossed immunoelectrophoresis against a rabbit antiserum produced by immunization with concentrated M. leprae antigen. This system allows a more detailed analysis of the antigenic relationship between M. leprae and other mycobacteria and a better characterization of the antigenic content of various M leprae preparations than with previously available anstisera of the antigenic content of various M. leprae preparations than with previously available antisera which reacted with far fewer components. The antibody activity in sera of patients with lepromatous leprosy was studied by incorporating the sera into the intermediate gel of the M. leprae reference system. Antibodies were found against only seven of the components. Since those compared are all known to be cross-reacting widely with antigens of other mycobacteria, it is speculated that cross-immunization may influence the antibody response in lepromatous leprosy.

Antigenic analysis of Mycobacterium leprae

About twenty distinct antigenic components have been demonstrated in Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) by crossed immunoelectrophoresis against a rabbit antiserum produced by immunization with concentrated M. leprae antigen. This system allows a more detailed analysis of the antigenic relationship between M. leprae and other mycobacteria and a better characterization of the antigenic content of various M leprae preparations than with previously available anstisera of the antigenic content of various M. leprae preparations than with previously available antisera which reacted with far fewer components. The antibody activity in sera of patients with lepromatous leprosy was studied by incorporating the sera into the intermediate gel of the M. leprae reference system. Antibodies were found against only seven of the components. Since those compared are all known to be cross-reacting widely with antigens of other mycobacteria, it is speculated that cross-immunization may influence the antibody response in lepromatous leprosy.

A study of alleged leprosy bacillus strain HI-75.

Subcultures of strain HI-75 of Skinsnes leprosy bacillus received in Antwerp and London have been studied bacteriologically and compared. Both contained moderately large acid-fast bacilli readily subcultured and maintained on ordinary mycobacteriologic media. These organisms were found to be a variety of Mycobacterium marianum (syn. serofulaceum) and were considered likely to be a laboratory contaminant. The earlier subculture studied also contained numbers of a much smaller mycobacterium (of a similar size to M. leprae) which appeared to be dead and which did not grow on the ordinary media. Skin tests and immunodiffusion analyses performed with extracts of the earlier subculture failed to demonstrate the presence of the specific antigens of leprosy bacilli. Similar studies on other cultures of Skinsnes bacillus must be performed to confirm or refute its identity as M. leprae.