Novel 17-kilodalton Leishmania antigen revealed by immunochemical studies of a purified glycoprotein fraction recognized by murine T lymphocytes.

Recently, a glycoprotein fraction, designated gp10/20, purified from Leishmania mexicana amazonensis was shown to induce a cellular immune response mediated by murine L3T4+ T lymphocytes. This fact led us to pursue further the characterization of this fraction. The present study demonstrated that gp10/20 is a degradation product of a 17-kilodalton antigen present in promastigotes and amastigotes of L. mexicana amazonensis. This antigen was easily detected in promastigotes of L. mexicana mexicana, L. donovani, L. chagasi, L. major, and L. tropica. However, culture forms of L. braziliensis complex expressed either low amounts of the 17-kilodalton antigen or an antigenically unrelated antigen. The recognition of gp10/20 by several serum samples of patients with kala-azar was also shown.