Adjuvant and antigenic properties of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), the causative agent of Johne's disease in ruminants, has been linked as a possible risk factor for human multiple sclerosis. In the current study we investigated the adjuvant effect of MAP on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Groups of C57BL/6 mice were actively immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) 35–55 peptide emulsified in incomplete Freund's adjuvant modified containing heat-killed MAP (MIFA). MOG-MIFA immunized mice showed an early disease onset and more severe clinical scores in comparison with MOG-CFA immunized mice, demonstrating for the first time the adjuvant effect of MAP on EAE development.