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Infection and Immunity, September 2005, p. 5636-5644, Vol. 73, No. 9
0019-9567/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.73.9.5636-5644.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Postgenomic Approach To Identify Novel Mycobacterium leprae Antigens with Potential To Improve Immunodiagnosis of Infection

Annemieke Geluk,1* Michèl R. Klein,1 Kees L. M. C. Franken,1 Krista E. van Meijgaarden,1 Brigitte Wieles,1 Kelly Cristina Pereira,2 Samira Bührer-Sékula,3 Paul R. Klatser,3 Patrick J. Brennan,4 John S. Spencer,4 Diana L. Williams,5 Maria C. V. Pessolani,6 Elizabeth P. Sampaio,2 and Tom H. M. Ottenhoff1

Departments of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands,1 Molecular Biology, Laboratory Research Branch, National Hansen's Disease Programs, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana,5 Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,3 Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colorado,4 Laboratory of Cellular Microbiology and Leprosy Laboratory, Laboratory of Immunology,6 Department of Immunology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil2

Received 25 March 2005/ Returned for modification 22 April 2005/ Accepted 18 May 2005

Early detection of Mycobacterium leprae infection is considered an important component of strategies aiming at reducing transmission of infection, but currently available diagnostic tools often lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity to reach this goal. Recent comparative genomics have revealed the presence of 165 M. leprae genes with no homologue in M. tuberculosis. We selected 17 of these genes for further study. All 17 genes were found to be expressed at the mRNA level in M. leprae from infected mice and from a multibacillary leprosy patient. Additional comparative genomic analyses of all currently available mycobacterial genome databases confirmed 12 candidate genes to be unique to M. leprae, whereas 5 genes had homologues in mycobacteria other than M. tuberculosis. Evaluation of the immunogenicity of all 17 recombinant proteins in PBMC from 127 Brazilians showed that five antigens (ML0576, ML1989, ML1990, ML2283, and ML2567) induced significant gamma interferon levels in paucibacillary leprosy patients, reactional leprosy patients, and exposed healthy controls but not in most multibacillary leprosy patients, tuberculosis patients, or endemic controls. Importantly, among exposed healthy controls 71% had no detectable immunoglobulin M antibodies to the M. leprae-specific PGL-I but responded to one or more M. leprae antigen(s). Collectively, the M. leprae proteins identified are expressed at the transcriptome level and can efficiently activate T cells of M. leprae-exposed individuals. These proteins may provide new tools to develop tests for specific diagnosis of M. leprae infection and may enhance our understanding of leprosy and its transmission.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, LUMC PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. Phone: 31-71-526-3800/3844. Fax: 31-71-521-6751. E-mail: a.geluk{at}lumc.nl.

Editor: J. D. Clements

Infection and Immunity, September 2005, p. 5636-5644, Vol. 73, No. 9
0019-9567/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.73.9.5636-5644.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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