Despite its relatively poor efficacy, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has been used as a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine since its development in 1921. BCG induces robust T helper 1 (Th1) immune responses but, for many individuals, this is not sufficient for host resistance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) infection. Here we provide evidence that early secreted antigenic target protein 6 (ES...

Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder is an aggressive tumor with a high potential for malignant progression. Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has been used to treat malignant diseases for more than 20 years, and bladder cancer has been treated with it longer, since 1976. BCG is an attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis; instilled in solution to treat bladder cancer, it delays recurrence an...

The use of cytokines during vaccination, particularly IL-15, is being considered due to the unique ability of IL-15 to enhance the proliferation of memory CD8(+) T cells. However, as homeostatic mechanisms limit excessive lymphocyte expansion, we addressed the consequences of this enhancement of T cell memory by IL-15. Infection of mice with either recombinant Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) expressi...

Patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) lack generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the phagocyte NADPH oxidase NOX2. CGD is an immune deficiency that leads to frequent infections with certain pathogens; this is well documented for S. aureus and A. fumigatus, but less clear for mycobacteria. We therefore performed an extensive literature search which yielded 297 cases of ...

GROVE, D. I., AND CIVIL, IL H. 1978. Trichinella spiralis: Effects on the host-parasite relationship in mice of BCG (attenuated Mycobacterium bovis). Experimental Parasitology 44, 181-189. The effects of BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, i.e., attenuated Mycobacterium bovis) on the host-parasite relationship in murine trichinosis were examined. A total of 2 X 10’ colony forming units of BCG given ...

Granulomatous bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection, both localized and disseminated, as a complication of intravesical therapy for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder is a recognized but highly unusual phenomenon. We report the case of an 89-year-old gentleman with a history of bladder transitional cell carcinoma and subsequent intravesical BCG instillation of the bladder who present...

Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is currently the only vaccine available for preventing tuberculosis (TB), however, BCG has varying success in preventing pulmonary TB. In this study, a recombinant BCG (rBCG::Ag85A) strain overexpressing the immunodominant Ag85A antigen was constructed, and its immunogenicity and protective efficacy were evaluated. Our results indicated that th...

LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus (MuLV) injection causes murine AIDS (MAIDS), a disease characterized by many functional abnormalities of immunocompetent cells. We show that MAIDS mice are susceptible to Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection as assessed by survival rate and bacterial counts. The peritoneal exudate macrophages from MAIDS mice produced a significant level of int...

Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases (MSMD) is a rare syndrome characterized by predisposition to infections caused by weakly virulent mycobacteria, such as those in bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and environmental mycobacteria. Salmonellosis has been reported in almost half of affected patients. Patients are also vulnerable to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Several ...

We assessed the applicability of an in vitro model of low-level infection of human monocytes to the characterization of the virulence of strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis family. Peripheral blood monocytes were infected at a 1:1 ratio with the virulent M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv, the avirulent M. tuberculosis strain H37Ra, and the attenuated M. bovis strain BCG. Both the percentages o...