Research on Artificial Immunization Against Tuberculosis with Synthetic Antigens

Immunization of White Mice and Guinea Pigs with Pogal

¹ Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health

In further research on synthetic antigens prepared from a polysaccharide from M. tuberculosis, a new one was made by the association of the two methods previously used, that is, by combination of the polysaccharide with immune-gamma-globulin and absorption of this complex to aluminum phosphate. This antigen was named POGAL. We have investigated the properties of this antigen to stimulate specific antibody formation in rabbits and humans, and the ability to increase the resistance of white mice and guinea pigs against experimental tuberculosis induced with M. tuberculosis var. hominis. It was found that the synthetic antigen POGAL induces specific antibodies that precipitate and fix the complement with the polysaccharide of M. tuberculosis and also increase the resistance

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of mice and guinea pigs against experimental tuberculosis, as shown by a milder and less frequent infection of the organs by tubercle bacilli. But immunization with this antigen does not increase the survival nor decrease the lethality of inoculated animals as observed with two previous antigens, PAL and POG. We infer that POGAL is immunologically less active than the two previous ones. As to immunologic properties of the three antigens, POG appears to be the most active. For this reason, it has been chosen for further research on immunization of humans against tuberculosis with a synthetic antigen.