Studies on the Tuberculin Reactivity of Tuberculin‐Active Peptide

Abstract

A comparative study of the tuberculin potency and reactivity to TAP and PPD-S was made in humans and guinea pigs. A comparison of reactions elicited by TAP and PPD-S was made in two groups of guinea pigs previously inoculated with killed bacilli or with living bacilli. The tuberculin reactions produced by TAP and PPD-S in human beings was studied in school children from rural districts. These children were divided randomly into three groups and each group was given a different amount of TAP and PPD-S. The results obtained are as follows: (1) While relative potency of TAP was relatively much weaker than PPD-S in guinea pigs sensitized with tubercle bacilli, in human beings the tuberculin potency of TAP was approximately 1/2 or 1/3 that of PPD-S. (2) There was a marked difference in the tuberculin reactivity to TAP and PPD-S between guinea pigs immunized with killed bacilli and guinea pigs immunized with living bacilli.

Cloning of aMycobacterium tuberculosisGene Encoding a Purifed Protein Derivative Protein That Elicits Strong Tuberculosis‐Specific Delayed‐Type Hypersensitivity

“…In clear contrast with the previously described M. tuberculosis recombinant proteins [29,34,35,40], our preliminary results (not shown) indicate that DPPD elicits strong and specific DTH in PPD-positive volunteers. To date, 10 healthy PPD-positive subjects with no history of active tuberculosis or of vaccination with BCG and 25 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (confirmed by chest radiographs and positive smear tests for acid-fast bacilli) have been tested with both PPD-S (5 UT) and DPPD (1 mg).…”

“…Although several Mycobacterium molecules, including MTP 64, MPT 59, the 71-kDa heatshock protein, and a-crystallin, elicit DTH in immunized or sensitized guinea pigs, none have elicited DTH in humans like that elicited by PPD [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]. 2 ϫ 10 culosis and skin tested 5 weeks later with 2 and 10 mg of Ra12-DPPD, Ra12, and PPD.…”

The Immunology of Mycobacterial Diseases1,2

“…Antigenic proteins and peptides have been found in the cell walls and cytoplasm. The peptides may behave as haptens (25) and elicit delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions (orH) (26)(27)(28). Ribosomal protein antigens also elicit orH (29) but are not believed to serve as immunogens for the induction of orH in animal models (30).…”

Mycobacterial antigens: a review of their isolation, chemistry, and immunological properties.

“…Yamamura and his many co-workers have studied a product of mycobacterial cell or cell wall extraction that they have termed tuberculin-active peptide (16,145,155,(182)(183)(184)(207)(208)(209). It has a molecular weight of 5,000 to 10,000.…”