AIDS-RELATED MYCOBACTERIAL DISEASE--ANTIBODIES TO MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM IN AIDS SER

在美国，大约50%的艾滋病患者会发展为MAC 随着疾病的发展。 我们已经开始评估 对艾滋病感染者的MAC抗原的反应。 我们检测了 检测20例伴MAC病的AIDS患者血清、5例伴MAC病的AIDS患者血清、 非AIDS患者M. 10例健康对照。 西方分析表明，艾滋病和非艾滋病患者MAC 感染对M. avium 虽然M.鸟类是高度可变的， 识别30、37或47 kDa MAC蛋白的抗体已经被 在这些患者中约有60%。 30和37 kDa抗体 蛋白质也存在于相当大比例的对照血清中。 然而，识别47 kDa MAC蛋白的抗MAC抗体没有 在对照血清中观察到。 进一步分析了大量 将需要对照血清以确定血清学测定是否 定量对47 kDa MAC抗原的体液应答将是 诊断为活动性MAC疾病。 我们还将艾滋病血清与含有8 重组MAC蛋白。 我们所有的艾滋病血清池反应强烈 一种34 kDa的分枝杆菌蛋白 我们目前正在描述 这个蛋白质和它的基因，以确定其意义。

Approximately 50% of patients with AIDS in the United States develop MAC disease as the disease progresses. We have begun evaluating the immune response to MAC antigens of AIDS-infected individuals. We have assayed for anti-MAC antibodies the sera of 20 AIDS patients with MAC disease, 5 non-AIDS patients with M. avium disease and 10 healthy controls. Western analysis indicates AIDS and non-AIDS patients with MAC infections have a limited, heterogeneous humoral response to M. avium. Although the specific antibody response to M. avium is highly variable, antibodies recognizing 30, 37 or 47 kDa MAC proteins have been identified in about 60% of these patients. Antibodies to 30 and 37 kDa proteins are also present in a significant proportion of control sera. However, anti-MAC antibodies recognizing the 47 kDa MAC protein have not been seen in control sera. Further analysis of a large number of control sera will be required to ascertain whether serological assays quantitating humoral responses to the 47 kDa MAC antigen will be diagnostic for active MAC disease. We have also incubated the AIDS sera with Western blots containing 8 recombinant MAC proteins. All of our AIDS serum pools react strongly with a 34 kDa mycobacterial protein. We currently are characterizing this protein and its gene to determine its significance.