Lim J H, Park J K, Jo E K, Song C H, Min D, Song Y J, Kim H J
Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Taejeon 301-131, Korea.
Infect Immun. 1999 Nov;67(11):6187-90. doi: 10.1128/IAI.67.11.6187-6190.1999.
The three proteins of the antigen 85 complex (85A, 85B, and 85C), which are major secretory products of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, were purified to homogeneity in large amounts by a combination of chromatography on hydroxylapatite, DEAE-Sepharose, and DEAE-Sephacel and gel filtration from M. tuberculosis culture filtrate. Then we examined the immunological reactivity of the three proteins in tuberculosis patients and healthy controls. Antibody responses to the 85B and 85A proteins in patients were significantly greater than responses to the 85C protein. In contrast, all three antigens induced significant lymphoproliferation and gamma interferon production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy tuberculin reactors.