IgA antibody response to both antigens did differ in Mtb-infected and non-infected subjects. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the level of IFN-γ induced by the specific antigens and the level of serum IgA against ESAT-6/CFP-10 and Rv2031 in healthy Mtb-infected U0126 mouse subjects. These results encourage further follow-up studies on the specific roles of IgA antibody and its subclasses in the progression of Mtb infection and of the immunodiagnostic test using additional antigens in population under various epidemiological settings of the disease. ML designed the study, participated in data collection, data analysis and drafted the manuscript. GA participated in designing the study, data

collection, analysis and write-up. GMD participated in designing the study, data analysis and interpretation and write-up. GM participated in designing the study and write-up. KF produced the recombinant antigens for the study and write-up. TO participated in selleck chemicals llc designing of the study, the writing up of the manuscript, and supervised antigen production and its QC. GB involved in designing of the study and critically revised the manuscript. FA involved in designing the study and write-up of the manuscript and critically revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. ML is the guarantor of the manuscript. We are grateful to study participants, Afar Regional and Amibara District Health

Bureau, Dubti hospital, Meleka Werer Health Centres. We would like to thank nurse Gezahegn Getachew, staff of Melka Werer Health Centre, for his assistances in physical and clinical examinations. We would like to thank Mr. Sisay Dessie, Mr. Girma Kebede and Ms

Kokobe Gebre-Michael for their technical assistance. We would like to thank staff of Dubti hospital for their technical and clinical examinations of patients suspected of PTB. We would also like to thank staff of Armauer Hansen Research Institute for their cooperation during selleck chemicals laboratory work. The study was financially supported by Norwegian Programme for Development, Research and Education, NUFU (NUFU PRO-2007/10198) as well as the Research Council of Norway. “
“The pathogenesis of vitiligo is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the nature of lymphoid cells infiltrating depigmented areas of skin in vitiligo. Immunochemical procedures were carried out in biopsies from 20 patients with active lesions to search for cells expressing CD1a, CD2, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, CD20, CD25, CD30, CD56, CD68 and CD79a. Results indicate that early lesions are infiltrated mainly by dendritic cells, whereas older lesions display significantly lower proportions of these cells and increased percentages of mature T cells. This finding might suggest that the autoimmune reactivity towards melanocyte antigens might be T cell-dependent and antigen-driven.