Stress proteins and the immune response to mycobacteria — Antigens as virulence factors?

The immune response to mycobacterial infection includes pathogenic as well as protective activities. It is possible that different types of immune responses are associated with recognition of different antigenic determinants. Amongst the antigens which are prominent in antibody and T cell recognition of mycobacteria, we have identified members of highly conserved stress protein families. Mapping of antigenic determinants on stress proteins shows that both species-specific and conserved regions of these proteins can take part in immune recognition. Induction of an immune response to conserved, “self-like”, determinants on stress proteins could play a role in the immunopathology associated with chronic mycobacterial infections.