Identification of immune complex antigens in sera of Indian kala-azar patients.

Level of circulating immune complex (IC) in visceral leishmaniasis is much higher than that in control sera. In immunoblot experiment, treatment of kala-azar IC with patient sera showed at least 6 bands of which the band around 55 kDa region was most prominent. The band at 55 kDa is primarily due to the presence of an antigen recognized by its corresponding antibody present in the patient sera. This was confirmed by using radiolabelled antibody from kala-azar patient serum and antipromastigote serum. The heavy chain of IgG originating from IC is also present in the same region which was detected by its recognition with antihuman IgG. The IC gave a band at 55 kDa region with sea-urchin antitubulin. Kala-azar sera also reacted with purified rat brain tubulin. The present results suggest that a tubulin like protein is present at 55 kDa region along with the heavy chain of IgG.