Abstract: The present invention provides an agent for promoting human Th1 cell differentiation and an agent for suppressing human Th2 cell differentiation, comprising lipoarabinomannans and/or lipomannans derived from BCG cell bodies. The agent of the present invention is useful as a prophylactic/therapeutic agent for cancers and the like, and also as a therapeutic agent for allergic diseases such as pollinosis.

Abstract: The object is to provide a liposome by which a bacterial cell component insoluble in water and an organic solvent (e.g., BCG-CW) can be pharmaceutically prepared in a form applicable to a living body (i.e., a form in which the bacterial cell component can be dispersed in an aqueous solvent and has a controlled size) without using any surfactant. Disclosed is a liposome having a lipid membrane containing a bacterial cell component insoluble in water and an organic solvent (e.g., BCG-CW).

Abstract: The present invention provides an agent for promoting human Th1 cell differentiation and an agent for suppressing human Th2 cell differentiation, comprising lipoarabinomannans and/or lipomannans derived from BCG cell bodies. The agent of the present invention is useful as a prophylactic/therapeutic agent for cancers and the like, and also as a therapeutic agent for allergic diseases such as pollinosis.

Abstract: A reagent for the detection of an antibody against an acid-fast bacterial antigen comprising at least one compound selected from the group comprising mycolic acids, mycolic acid salts, mycolic acid esters and esters of fatty acids having a carbon number of 14 or more other than mycolic acid with a mono- or disaccharide, a method of detecting an antibody against an acid-fast bacterial antigen using said reagent and a method of diagnosis of acid-fast bacterial infections by said detection method are simpler in procedures and offer much higher specificity in comparison with conventional reagents and methods, enabling identification of acid-fast bacterial genera (including the genera Mycobacterium, Nocardia and Rhodococcus) and acid-fast bacterial species, and thus it is possible to make diagnoses to identify the infecting acid-fast bacterium, which leads to the quick choice of therapeutic drug for the disease.

Abstract: An .alpha.,.alpha.-trehalose trimycolate represented by formula: ##STR1## (wherein R.sup.1 through R.sup.8 each represents a hydrogen atom or mycolic acid residue, and three of R.sup.1 through R.sup.8 are mycolic acid residues; these mycolic acid residues may, or may not be identical with each other).Since the said .alpha.,.alpha.-trehalose trimycolate possesses both immunopotentiating activity and antitumor activity on animals and is low in toxicity, it is expected to be applied to a protective drug against infection of various microbes, an antitumor agent and immunopotentiation at the time of decline in physical strength.