In vitro immune responses of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis to BCG and its active components
Lin, K.T.; Wang, C.R.; Chang, H.Y.; Lin, T.P.
Journal of the Formosan Medical Association 86(8): 833-837
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0371-7682 PMID: 3681250 Document Number: 286839
In vitro immune responses to Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and its disrupted components were studied in 60 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, and in 30 healthy individuals. The sonicated supernatant of BCG showed lymphocyte stimulating effect than it suspension. Among the tuberculosis patients, BCG-vaccinated cases demonstrated a stronger stimulation response than those not vaccinated (p < 0.05). In the BCG-vaccinated group a higher stimulation response was obtained in tuberculosis patients than in healthy individuals (p < 0.05). However, in the non-vaccinated group there was no significant difference between patients and healthy controls. Thus, the present study demonstrated that BCG vaccination enhanced in vitro cell-mediated immunity among the tuberculosis patients. The BCG sonicate was subjected to SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting on nitrocellulose membrane. Serum antibodies were directed to multiple components of BCG antigens, the most prevalent and strongest being to an antigen with a molecular size of 32 kilodaltons (Ag32). Anti-Ag32 was detected in 65% of the tuberculosis patients with positive bacillus culture, 7% of the patients with negative culture, and none of the healthy controls (p < 0.001). Thus immunoblotting of BCG sonicate may be a useful tool in serodiagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.