106 research outputs found

    Disparate Host Immunity to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Antigens in Calves Inoculated with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis, M. avium subsp. avium, M. kansasii, and M. bovis

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    The cross-reactivity of mycobacterial antigens in immune-based diagnostic assays has been a major concern and a criticism of the current tests that are used for the detection of paratuberculosis. In the present study, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratu- berculosis recombinant proteins were evaluated for antigenic specificity compared to a whole-cell sonicate preparation (MPS). Measures of cell-mediated immunity to M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis antigens were compared in calves inoculated with live M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis, M. avium subsp. avium (M. avium), Mycobacterium kansasii, or Mycobacterium bovis. Gamma interferon (IFN-) responses to MPS were observed in all calves that were exposed to mycobacteria compared to control calves at 4 months postinfection. Pooled recombinant M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis proteins also elicited nonspecific IFN- responses in inoculated calves, with the exception of calves infected with M. bovis. M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis proteins failed to elicit antigen-specific responses for the majority of immune measures; however, the expression of CD25 and CD26 was upregulated on CD4, CD8, gamma/delta () T, and B cells for the calves that were inoculated with either M. avium subsp. para- tuberculosis or M. avium after antigen stimulation of the cells. Stimulation with MPS also resulted in the increased expression of CD26 on CD45RO CD25 T cells from calves inoculated with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis and M. avium. Although re- combinant proteins failed to elicit specific responses for the calves inoculated with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis, the differ- ences in immune responses to M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis antigens were dependent upon mycobacterial exposure. The results demonstrated a close alignment in immune responses between calves inoculated with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis and those inoculated with M. avium that were somewhat disparate from the responses in calves infected with M. bovis, suggesting that the biology of mycobacterial infection plays an important role in diagnosis

    Animal-side serologic assay for rapid detection of Mycobacterium bovis infection in multiple species of free-ranging wildlife

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    Numerous species of mammals are susceptible to Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (TB). Several wildlife hosts have emerged as reservoirs of M. bovis infection for domestic livestock in different countries. In the present study, blood samples were collected from Eurasian badgers (n=1532), white-tailed deer (n=463), brushtail possums (n=129), and wild boar (n=177) for evaluation of antibody responses to M. bovis infection by a lateral-flow rapid test (RT) and multiantigen print immunoassay (MAPIA). Magnitude of the antibody responses and antigen recognition patterns varied among the animals as determined by MAPIA; however, MPB83 was the most commonly recognized antigen for each host studied. Other seroreactive antigens included ESAT-6, CFP10, and MPB70. The agreement of the RT with culture results varied from 74% for possums to 81% for badgers to 90% for wild boar to 97% for white-tailed deer. Small numbers of wild boar and deer exposed to M. avium infection or paratuberculosis, respectively, did not cross-react in the RT, supporting the high specificity of the assay. In deer, whole blood samples reacted similarly to corresponding serum specimens (97% concordance), demonstrating the potential for field application. As previously demonstrated for badgers and deer, antibody responses to M. bovis infection in wild boar were positively associated with advanced disease. Together, these findings suggest that a rapid TB assay such as the RT may provide a useful screening tool for certain wildlife species that may be implicated in the maintenance and transmission of M. bovis infection to domestic livestock.The authors are grateful to Peter Andersen and Jim McNair for kindly providing certain antigens used in C this study. Badger samples were taken under projects funded by the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra), UK. The authors acknowledge the support of staff from CSL, VLA Starcross, Defra Wildlife Unit, and permission from the Independent Scientific Group for use of sera from the RBCT. Spanish wild boar samples were obtained with support from MEC Plan Nacional AGL2005-07401 and Santander - Fundacion M. Botin

    D* Production in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA

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    This paper presents measurements of D^{*\pm} production in deep inelastic scattering from collisions between 27.5 GeV positrons and 820 GeV protons. The data have been taken with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The decay channel D+(D0Kπ+)π+D^{*+}\to (D^0 \to K^- \pi^+) \pi^+ (+ c.c.) has been used in the study. The e+pe^+p cross section for inclusive D^{*\pm} production with 5<Q2<100GeV25<Q^2<100 GeV^2 and y<0.7y<0.7 is 5.3 \pms 1.0 \pms 0.8 nb in the kinematic region {1.3<pT(D±)<9.01.3<p_T(D^{*\pm})<9.0 GeV and η(D±)<1.5| \eta(D^{*\pm}) |<1.5}. Differential cross sections as functions of p_T(D^{*\pm}), η(D±),W\eta(D^{*\pm}), W and Q2Q^2 are compared with next-to-leading order QCD calculations based on the photon-gluon fusion production mechanism. After an extrapolation of the cross section to the full kinematic region in p_T(D^{*\pm}) and η\eta(D^{*\pm}), the charm contribution F2ccˉ(x,Q2)F_2^{c\bar{c}}(x,Q^2) to the proton structure function is determined for Bjorken xx between 2 \cdot 104^{-4} and 5 \cdot 103^{-3}.Comment: 17 pages including 4 figure

    Observation of Scaling Violations in Scaled Momentum Distributions at HERA

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    Charged particle production has been measured in deep inelastic scattering (DIS) events over a large range of xx and Q2Q^2 using the ZEUS detector. The evolution of the scaled momentum, xpx_p, with Q2,Q^2, in the range 10 to 1280 GeV2GeV^2, has been investigated in the current fragmentation region of the Breit frame. The results show clear evidence, in a single experiment, for scaling violations in scaled momenta as a function of Q2Q^2.Comment: 21 pages including 4 figures, to be published in Physics Letters B. Two references adde

    Quorum sensing:Implications on rhamnolipid biosurfactant production

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    Observation of Events with an Energetic Forward Neutron in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA

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    In deep inelastic neutral current scattering of positrons and protons at the center of mass energy of 300 GeV, we observe, with the ZEUS detector, events with a high energy neutron produced at very small scattering angles with respect to the proton direction. The events constitute a fixed fraction of the deep inelastic, neutral current event sample independent of Bjorken x and Q2 in the range 3 · 10-4 \u3c xBJ \u3c 6 · 10-3 and 10 \u3c Q2 \u3c 100 GeV2
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