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Abstract
A radioimmunoassay developed to measure antibody against Myco-bacterium leprae antigen 7 in man was applied to the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). Normal armadillo sera had low but significant antibody activity in the test. Fourteen of 17 armadillos with systemic myco-bacterial infection after inoculation with M. leprae showed increased antibody activity in the assay, and in some instances the activity was higher than in a pool of sera from patients with lepromatous leprosy. Crossed immunoelectro-phoresis with armadillo serum in the intermediate gel revealed antibodies against five distinct antigenic components of M. leprae. Development of systemic mycobacterial infection after inoculation with M. leprae is thus associated with a distinct humoral immune response. The use of radioimmunoassay for selection of animals for inoculation and for following the development of the infection is discussed.
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