Humoral immune response in humans and animals infected and immunized with Mycobacteria of the MAIS complex

: Hyperimmunization of mice and rabbits with surface (whole cells) and complex (ultrasound disintegrants) with the MAIS complex Mycobacterium antigens induced a humoral immune response which was largely aimed against cross-reacting than "unique" Mycobacterium antigens. Infection of BALB/c mice and rabbits with M. avium induced a humoral immune response which was chiefly against cross-antigenic Mycobacterium determinants. A series of consecutive immunochemical procedures were used to isolate from M. avium antiserum the antibody reacting with the antigenic determinants 18, 20, 24, 27, 39, 68, 94, kDa. Mab to the antigenic determinant 79 kDa of M. avium, which belong to the IgG class and unreacting with antigens of other Mycobacterium types were obtained. The antibodies isolated from hyperimmune serum and Mabs were used in the competitive EIA to determine antimycobacterial antibodies in man, mice, and rabbits. With Mab, positive results were obtained in 75% of M. avium-infected mice, 63.6% of rabbits and 63.6% of patients with M. avium infection (with 5.0% false positive results in humans). With antiserum, 83.3% of positive results were obtained in mice (with 10.0% of false positive results), 81.8 in rabbits (with 25% of false positive results) and 90.9% in M. avium-infected persons (with 30% of false positive results).