Analysis of protein antigens of Mycoplasma hominis: detection of polypeptides involved in the human immune response.

Immunoblotting of polypeptide antigens after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to analyze clinical strains of Mycoplasma hominis. There was increased antibody titer for polypeptides comprising a wide range of molecular sizes between paired sera obtained from patients with indication of invasive infection. Eight of these antigens were shown to be candidate surface antigens. Absorption of hyperimmune rabbit serum with intact cells resulted in elimination or reduction in intensity of bands for these molecules. The antigens p115 and p98 appeared to be present in each of six clinical strains that were compared by reaction with the reference rabbit antiserum. There was considerable diversity of migration position for the remaining antigens in the profiles of these six strains.