Proteins expressed by
View Patent ↗The present invention is directed to proteins expressed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and not by BCG and their use as diagnostic reagents.
1. A method of in vitro diagnosis which discriminates between exposure of a subject to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and vaccination with the Bacille Calmette Guerin strain of Mycobacterium bovis , the method comprising testing for the presence of CD4 T lymphocytes that respond to an antigenic segment of MTBN8, wherein the presence of CD4 T lymphocytes that respond to said antigenic segment of MTBN8 indicates that the subject has been exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis , and wherein CD4 T lymphocytes from a subject vaccinated with the Bacille Calmette Guerin strain of Mycobacterium bovis but not exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not respond.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the testing for the presence of CD4 T lymphocytes that respond to said antigenic segment of MTBN8 comprises contacting CD4 T lymphocytes from the subject with antigen presenting cells (APC) from the subject and said antigenic segment of MTBN8.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the testing for the presence of CD4 T lymphocytes that respond to said antigenic segment of MTBN8 comprises testing for cytokine production.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the cytokine measured is IFNγ.
5. A method of in vitro diagnosis which discriminates between exposure of a subject to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and vaccination with the Bacille Calmette Guerin strain of Mycobacterium bovis , the method comprising testing for the presence of T lymphocytes that respond to an antigenic segment of MTBN8, wherein the presence of T lymphocytes that respond to said antigenic segment of MTBN8 indicates that the subject has been exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis , and wherein T lymphocytes from a subject vaccinated with the Bacille Calmette Guerin strain of Mycobacterium bovis but not exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not respond.
6. A method of in vitro diagnosis comprising:
a. contacting CD4 T lymphocytes from a subject with antigen presenting cells (APC) from the subject and an antigenic segment of MTBN8;
b. testing for the presence of CD4 T lymphocytes that respond to said antigenic segment of MTBN8;
c. discriminating between exposure of the subject to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and vaccination with the Bacille Calmette Guerin strain of Mycobacterium bovis , wherein the presence of CD4 T lymphocytes that respond to said antigenic segment of MTBN8 indicates that the subject has been exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis , and wherein CD4 T lymphocytes from a subject vaccinated with the Bacille Calmette Guerin strain of Mycobacterium bovis but not exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not respond.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the testing for the presence of CD4 T lymphocytes that respond to said antigenic segment of MTBN8 comprises contacting CD4 T lymphocytes from the subject with antigen presenting cells (APC) from the subject and said antigenic segment of MTBN8.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the testing for the presence of CD4 T lymphocytes that respond to said antigenic segment of MTBN8 comprises testing for cytokine production.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cytokine measured is IFNγ.
10. A method of in vitro diagnosis comprising:
a. contacting T lymphocytes from a subject with antigen presenting cells (APC) from the subject and an antigenic segment of MTBN8;
b. testing for the presence of T lymphocytes that respond to said antigenic segment of MTBN8;
c. discriminating between exposure of a subject to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and vaccination with the Bacille Calmette Guerin strain of Mycobacterium bovis , wherein the presence of T lymphocytes that respond to said antigenic segment of MTBN8 indicates that the subject has been exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis , and wherein T lymphocytes from a subject vaccinated with the Bacille Calmette Guerin strain of Mycobacterium bovis but not exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not respond.