Figure 8. Cytosolic contact of ESAT-6 improves vaccine-induced protection.

(A) B6 mice were vaccinated i.v. with 1 × 10⁷ CFU BCG, BCG::RD1, or BCG::RD1 ESAT-6 Δ92-95. Sixty days later, mice were aerosol infected with 200 CFU Mtb H37Rv. Twenty-eight days p.i., mice were sacrificed, and CFU in spleen and lung (B) as well as serum cytokines (C) were assessed. Results are presented as pooled data (mean ± SEM) of 6 mice per group from 2 pooled, independent experiments. **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.001, by 1-way ANOVA (B).