Comparative analysis of the antigens of M. tuberculosis H37RV with various mycobacterial antigens.

Comparative immunoelectrophoretic and immunodiffusion analyses have indicated that H37Rv shares a number of antigens with other mycobacteria. Some of these shared antigens are polysaccharide in nature wheras others are proteins. The two antigens that this organism shares with M. smegmatis are primarily polysaccharides and so is the antigen that it shares with BCG ribosomal fraction. With M. kansasii, the H36Rv shares both polysaccharide and protein antigens, the polysaccharide antigens being the same ones that are shared by M. smegmatis and BCG. On the other hand, the H37Rv appears to share only protein antigens with M. marinum and none with M. leprae. It is suggested that the antigen that is shared between M. kansasii and H37Rv could be specific to these two strains and the one that is shared between M. kansaii, H37Rv and BCG ribosomal fraction could be related to the virulence potential of the individual species.