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

ABSTRACTThe 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 aviumsubsp. paratuberculosisrecombinant proteins were evaluated for antigenic specificity compared to a whole-cell sonicate preparation (MPS). Measures of cell-mediated immunity to M. aviumsubsp. paratuberculosisantigens were compared in calves inoculated with live M. aviumsubsp. paratuberculosis, M. aviumsubsp. 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. aviumsubsp. paratuberculosisproteins also elicited nonspecific IFN-? responses in inoculated calves, with the exception of calves infected with M. bovis. M. aviumsubsp. paratuberculosisproteins 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 (?d) T, and B cells for the calves that were inoculated with either M. aviumsubsp. paratuberculosisor M. aviumafter 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. aviumsubsp. paratuberculosisand M. avium. Although recombinant proteins failed to elicit specific responses for the calves inoculated with M. aviumsubsp. paratuberculosis, the differences in immune responses to M. aviumsubsp. paratuberculosisantigens were dependent upon mycobacterial exposure. The results demonstrated a close alignment in immune responses between calves inoculated with M. aviumsubsp. paratuberculosisand those inoculated with M. aviumthat 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.