[An analysis of the specificity of anti-Mycobacterium monoclonal antibodies and of the chemical nature of the antigenic determinants with which they react].

Seven hybridomas of BALB/c mice producing monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against M. tuberculosis H37Rv have been obtained. The mAb acted against M. tuberculosis H36Rv with molecular mass 14, 17-15, 25 27 30 kD excluding mAb S5B3B8 and S3H5D7 which acted against the main antigen with 54 kD mass and 5-6 bands of antigens. Immunoglobulin isotypes of mAb were IgG2a and IgG2b. mAb can be divided into 2 groups by interaction with mycobacterial antigens in EIA: specific to M. tuberculosis complex antigens, cross-reactive to antigens of different mycobacteria. Chemical nature of antigenic determinants recognizable by a panel of mAb was investigated. Mild sodium periodate oxidation and protease digestion of mycobacterial antigens showed that mAb recognize both carbohydrate-containing epitopes (S2H6G4) and protein epitopes (S5B11E10, S5B3B8, S4C1G4) or protein and carbohydrate-containing antigenic determinants (S2F5C10, S2F2E2).