To elucidate the antigenic potential of dormancy-associated antigen Rv2659c and Rv3128c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by examining the persistence of specific IgG and IgA memory B cells (MBCs) among patients with active tuberculosis, household contacts with latent tuberculosis (LTBI), and an endemic healthy control group.
Fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 3 study groups were used to enumerate the number of IgG and IgA MBCs specific to recombinant protein Rv2659c and Rv3128c by ELISpot assay. The composition of MBC subsets, IgA and IgG MBCs was analyzed by flow cytometry.
The number of IgA MBCs specific to antigen Rv2659c were significantly higher in the LTBI than TB group. In contrast, no significant difference was found in IgA nor IgG MBCs against antigen Rv3128c. The number of IgA MBCs was significantly higher than that of IgG MBCs in the classical MBC subset of the LTBI group.
Our results indicated that the dormancy-associated antigen Rv2659c induced IgA MBCs response in individuals with latent tuberculosis, and IgA classical MBCs formed a major portion of the MBCs subset. This new knowledge will be beneficial for the development of novel tuberculosis vaccines and their control of latent tuberculosis.
Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Circulating IgA/IgG memory B cell against Mycobacterium tuberculosis dormancy-associated antigens Rv2659c and Rv3128c in active and latent tuberculosis.
