The Common Mycobacterial Antigens and their Importance in the Treatment of Disease

Title: The Common Mycobacterial Antigens and their Importance in the Treatment of Disease

Volume: 15 Issue: 11

Author(s): John Stanford, Cynthia Stanford, Gerard Stansby, Oscar Bottasso, Georges Bahr and John Grange

Affiliation:

Keywords: Common antigens, heat shock/stress proteins, immunotherapy, actinomycetales, Mycobacterium vaccae

Abstract: The mycobacteria are one of a number of genera making up the aerobic Actinomycetales. Their antigens demonstrable by immuno-precipitation methods can be divided into four groups. The group i antigens, common to all mycobacterial species, cross-react with their counterparts in animal cells, largely derived from mitochondria. Notable amongst these antigens are the heat-shock, or stress, proteins and possibly bacterial sugars. Tests of cell-mediated immunity show that people can be separated by their responsiveness in skin-test, or lymphocyte proliferation techniques, into four categories of responders. Category 1 individuals respond to all mycobacterial reagents through recognition of the group i antigens. Many chronic diseases are associated with a lack of cell-mediated responsiveness to the group i antigens, and have a raised antibody titre to them. This reflects a predominance of T helper 2 activity and reduced T helper 1 responsiveness as part of the pathogenesis of their diseases, which include chronic bacterial, viral and parasitic infections, allergies, autoimmunities and neoplasms. Packaged together, the group i antigens and the cell-wall adjuvants of selected aerobic Actinomycetales make potent immuno- modulatory reagents. An example is heat-killed Mycobacterium vaccae, useful in both prevention and treatment of disease. Treatment with such reagents results in alleviation of disease, restoration of cellular responsiveness to the common mycobacterial antigens and a decrease in antibody titres to them. This new approach to treatment for such a wide range of diseases has few disadvantageous side effects and can accompany other non-immunosuppressive therapies.

Cite this article as:

Stanford John, Stanford Cynthia, Stansby Gerard, Bottasso Oscar, Bahr Georges and Grange John, The Common Mycobacterial Antigens and their Importance in the Treatment of Disease, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2009; 15 (11) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161209787846838